Saint Mary the Virgin, Foulness Island Saint Mary the Virgin, Foulness Island Saint Mary the Virgin is a parish of the Church of England on Foulness Island, in Essex, England. Before the 15th century, the island of Foulness was divided among several neighbouring parishes. The inhabitants were expected to attend church services in their respective mainland parish churches but in practice this must have been difficult and at times impossible, as in those days there was no bridge linking Foulness to the mainland. In 1407, Lady Joan de Bohun, Countess of Essex, obtained a licence from the Bishop of London to found a chantry of a
Foulness Island of the salting, after which rain washes the salt downwards. The alluvium which forms the soil is highly fertile once freshwater plants start to grow. The inning of New Wick Marsh added , and Arundel March covered . No new innings took place in the 1500s, as there were several exceptional tides, and activity was centred on maintaining the existing defences, but another was added between 1620 and 1662, and there was further activity between 1687 and 1688, in 1801, and finally in 1833. In total, were added to the island. The Broomway provided the main access to Foulness for