Steart Peninsula

Steart Point

The Steart Peninsula (grid reference ST274459) is a peninsula in Somerset, England. At its outermost tip is Fenning Island, at the tip of which is Steart Point. It consists largely of low-lying flat farmland, and projects northwards on the west side of Stockland Reach, the lower stretches of the estuary of the River Parrett.

Bridgwater Bay, a National Nature Reserve, lies to the north of the peninsula, and on the south side of the bay are three coastal commons - from west to east these are Catsford Common, Wall Common and Steart Common.

The main settlement on the peninsula is the village of Steart, but two other villages, Stockland Bristol and Otterhampton sit at the peninsula's base. A single minor road links the village of Steart to these other villages. The River Parrett Trail runs along the peninsula.

West of the peninsula are the village of Stolford and Hinkley Point, and to the south is the village of Combwich.

The Steart peninsula has flooded many times during the last millennium. The most severe recent floods occurred in 1981. By 1997, a combination of coastal erosion, current sea level rise and wave action had made some of the defences distinctly fragile and at risk from failure. As a result in 2002 The Environment Agency produced the Stolford to Combwich Coastal Defence Strategy Study to examine options for the future.^[1] In July 2010, the Environment Agency presented a plan to convert the peninsula into wetland habitat,^[2] costing £17–20 million.,^[3] which includes land purchase costs of £5–7 million. It will be the largest wetland habitat creation scheme in England.^[2] Work began on the programme in May 2012.^[4]

References

Coordinates: 51°12′36″N 3°02′06″W / 51.210°N 3.035°W / 51.210; -3.035