References
Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.
1665
- May
Gunfleet Sand
Map
The overlays that highlight 17th century London features are approximate and derived from Wenceslaus Hollar’s maps:
- Built-up London – London before the Fire
- City of London wall and Great Fire damage – London after the Fire
Open location in Google Maps: 51.764933, 1.295561
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1 Annotation
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
Gunfleet Sands, a shoal off the coast of Essex, between the Wallet and King's Channel. It is 12-½ miles long, and 2 miles wide, is partly dry at low water, and is marked by a beacon.
An early medieval record about the use of goys (a type of fish trap) on Gunfleet Sands indicates the goys trapped fish when the tide went out, meaning the bank dried during this period. 'Ganfletsond' was named in an official document in 1320 and was named for the Gan Fleet (the old name for the Holland Brook which divided Great Holland and Little Holland [Jarvis 1990]). The origin of the name 'Wallet' is unknown. Gunfleet Sands has long been known as a navigational hazard, whilst the Wallet is a well-documented navigational route for vessels approaching London, the ports of Harwich and Felixstowe, and travelling along the coast.
The proximity of these two navigational features and strong currents has often resulted in the loss of vessels and lives. Nelson is reputed to have said that, in terms of navigation, the Thames estuary is one of the worst areas around the UK, being as tricky as a tiger (Bowskill 1998, 159).
It must be breezy there, because there are plans to build a windfarm on the Gunfleet. For more information, see http://archaeologydataservice.ac.…