Northwick, Canvey Island, 2016

I went for a walk with artist Alan Hockett one morning, to explore the western end of Canvey Island, and more specifically, the old Occidental site, which has in recent years drawn attention to itself by its importance as a very diverse site for flora and fauna, and being home to many endangered bees, beetles, damsel flies and invertebrates.

The landscape is still one dominated by the remains of the work done decades ago for the planned, but never finished, oil terminal, but that just adds to its charm, and we found many things made in concrete to wander about in, on and photograph. It is also a fair distance from the main body of civilisation on the island, mainland Essex, and also in Kent, so it’s reasonably quiet.

Obviously, someone had to go and ruin the peace, as someone started to use some heavy machinery on an old storage tank across Holehaven Creek in Coryton.