River Blackwater, Essex

There, it veers east again and empties into the Blackwater Estuary, which in turn meets the North Sea at Mersea Island.

The ice trapped fishing and cargo carrying vessels and blocked any imports of coal, oil, wool to Maldon.

A weir connected the navigation to the tidal river Blackwater at Heybridge, where it powered a water mill.

In 1865 HM Government passed the Maldon Harbour Act authorized construction of a wharf on the west side of the southern end of Heybridge Creek on land belonging to the Great Eastern Railway Company, and improving the channels of the rivers Chelmer and Blackwater.

[6] Ten thousand pounds were spent on widening, deepening and improving the river from the Fullbridge to just downriver from Herring's Point, near Heybridge Basin.

[7] A medieval 5-arched stone bridge over the River Blackwater at Heybridge (from which that village got its name) was replaced in 1870 by a 2-arched brick one.