The marshlands around the lower stretches of the Thames estuary have always been important to wildlife even though many areas have been extensively developed over the years as London sprawled eastwards. One area which escaped development is Rainham Marshes. It was owned by the military and used as a firing range for nearly 100 years and was bought by the RSPB in 2000. It is one of the best RSPB reserves we've ever been to and it's a 20 minute drive from Martha's flat.
