Dingle Marshes

Dingle Marshes is a 93 hectares (230 acres) 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]

Dingle Marshes
TypeNature reserve
LocationDunwich, Suffolk
OS gridTM479708
Area93 hectares
Managed bySuffolk Wildlife Trust

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]

Landscape

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]

Habitat
Dingle Marshes looking inland towards Dunwich forest

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]

Flooding

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]

Facilities

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]

References
  1. Suffolk Coast NNR, Natural England. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  2. Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve Archived 14 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Direct enquiries. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  3. Dingle Marshes, Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  4. Ratcliffe, Derek, ed. (1977). A Nature Conservation Review. 2. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 210–211. ISBN 0521 21403 3.
  5. "Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS): Minsmere–Walberswick" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  6. "Minsmere to Walberswick Heaths and Marshes". Special Areas of Conservation. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  7. "Designated Sites View: Minsmere to Walberswick Heaths & Marshes". Special Area of Conservation. Natural England. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  8. "Special Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive. Minsmere-Walberswick" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  9. "Designated Sites View: Minsmere-Walberswick". Special Protection Area. Natural England. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  10. Lottery helps rare species, BBC news website, 10 February 1999. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  11. Open coastal fens, Suffolk county council. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  12. About Dingle Marshes, RSPB. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  13. Sea breaches RSPB reserves in Suffolk Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Bird Guide, 2 November 2006. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  14. Surge hits wildlife havens, BBC news website, 9 November 2007. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  15. Fears for Dingle marshes Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Eastern Daily Press, 3 January 2007. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  16. Flood protection work at Minsmere and Dingle Marshes, BBC news website, 15 October 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-30.

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