Dingle Marshes | |
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Type | Nature reserve |
Location | Dunwich, Suffolk |
OS grid | TM479708 |
Area | 93 hectares (230 acres) |
Managed by | Suffolk Wildlife Trust |
Dingle Marshes is a 93-hectare (230-acre) wildlife reserve on the North Sea coast of the English county of Suffolk. The reserve is located between Dunwich and Walberswick, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south-west of Southwold. The marshes make up part of the Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve along with reserves at Walberswick and Hen Reedbeds. [1] [2] They are owned jointly by the RSPB and Suffolk Wildlife Trust and are managed by these two organisations and Natural England. [2] [3] The site is in the Dunwich Heaths and Marshes Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, [4] the Minsmere-Walberswick Ramsar internationally important wetland site, [5] the Minsmere to Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Special Area of Conservation, [6] [7] and the Minsmere-Walberswick Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. [8] [9]
It is also within the Minsmere-Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest and is a Natura 2000 site. [3] It is an internationally important site for the starlet sea anemone as well as a key site for bitterns and marsh harriers within the UK. [1] It was purchased in 1999 at a cost of £1 million, aided by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund of £559,000. [10]
The marshes form part of the open coastal fen landscape type within Suffolk which is predominantly open with few trees. [11] They were drained for use as cattle grazing at some point before 1587 but have reverted to fen land after mid-20th century reflooding. [11]
The marshes include a mixture of coastal and freshwater wetland habitats, including brackish pools. [12] These provide breeding habitats for birds such as bitterns, marsh harriers and bearded tits as well as mammals such as European otters and water vole and over-wintering locations for species such as pied avocets, white-fronted geese, northern lapwings and redshanks. [1] [3] [12] The site is an internationally important habitat of the starlet sea anemone, the rarest sea anemone in Britain. [1] [3] The reserve is bordered by heathland and forest on the landward side and includes a vegetated shingle bank on the seaward side. Little terns often nest along the bank. [12]
Coastal flooding has affected the marshes in recent years, including in 2003, 2006 and 2007. [13] [14] The shingle bank was breached in 2006 and 2007 leading to concerns that vulnerable freshwater habitats could be lost, including the breeding grounds of species such as bitterns. [13] [14] [15] Emergency flood defence works were carried out by the Environment Agency following the 2006 breach, [15] and these were extended in 2012 to provide additional flood defences for the reserve. [16]
The reserve is accessed from the south at Dunwich beach where a car park and other facilities are maintained by East Suffolk council. A circular walk is waymarked around the marshes. The RSPB maintains a hide overlooking the marsh. [12]
52°17′07″N 1°37′45″E / 52.2854°N 1.62929°E