Hen Reedbeds

Hen Reedbeds
Map
TypeNature reserve
LocationSouthwold, Suffolk
OS gridTM471771
Area55 hectares
Managed bySuffolk Wildlife Trust

Hen Reedbeds is a 55 hectare nature reserve near the North Sea coast of the English county of Suffolk. The reserve is located in the Blyth valley between Reydon and Blythburgh, approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of Southwold. The marshes make up part of the Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve along with reserves at Walberswick and Dingle Marshes.[1][2]

The reserve is owned by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and is managed in conjunction with Natural England and the RSPB.[2][3] It is part of the Minsmere-Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest, as well as being a Natura 2000 site, a Ramsar Site and within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[3][4]

The reserve was created in 1999 from an area of degraded grassland adjacent to the A1095 road.[5][6] It was specifically created to provide a range of freshwater habitats and is an important site for bitterns and marsh harriers within the UK.[1][3][6]

  1. ^ a b Suffolk Coast NNR, Natural England. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  2. ^ a b Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve Archived 2012-10-14 at the Wayback Machine, Direct enquiries. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  3. ^ a b c Hen Reedbeds, Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  4. ^ About us Archived 8 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  5. ^ Fitting tribute to warden of Southwold wildlife site, Lowestoft Journal, 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  6. ^ a b Suffolk's changing coast, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Retrieved 2012-10-31.