a ripening field of barley In the early 1800's farming in Eastern Essex comprised of livestock with arable land producing Corn, Barley and Oats. Most of these crops were loaded onto barges and hoys from the many wharf's and taken to mills or markets in London and other urban areas. By the mid 1800's the prosperity of arable farming was threatened by imports of cheaper grain from Europe and a series of bad harvests. This encouraged many local farmers to grow new crops which meant the cultivation of  fields of the herbs Caraway and Coriander as well as Teazle that were prized by clothiers for raising the nap of a cloth. Peas and beans were increasingly grown and the good climate allowed drying of seeds that could then be transported rpovding a high return for a small cargo. The new crops had the advantage of comparative commercial worth and would stay fresh long enough to allow water transport to the markets of London. For this reason fruit and other crops that perished quickly were little grown even though they would thrive in the local fertile soil. The effect on the population of declining trade was immediate with many of the smaller farms closing and unemployment becoming common. By the second half of the 1800's Burnham on Crouch had a high poverty rate and the Union Workhouse at Maldon saw more and more residents arrive from the peninsula.
	The opening of the Crouch Valley Railway Line in 1889 changed the situation with produce being able to reach London in a few hours. This led to an increase in milk production and the viability of market garden crops that spelt the end of widescale herb and teazle production.