Hen Reedbeds | |
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Type | Nature reserve |
Location | Southwold, Suffolk |
OS grid | TM471771 |
Area | 55 hectares |
Managed by | Suffolk 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]