Tollesbury Wick Jan 2017 by Dave Watts

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About

Wildlife is abundant in the 600 acres of rough pasture, borrowdykes, sea walls, wet flushes, pools and saltmarsh.

Large areas of rough pasture suit small mammals such as field vole and pygmy shrew. In winter, they in turn attract hunting hen and marsh harriers and short-eared owls.

Dry grassland on the slopes of the sea walls supports a wide variety of insects, including butterflies, bush crickets and grasshoppers. In spring spiny restharrow, grass vetchling, slender hares-ear and many other wild flowers can be found in ungrazed areas.

Borrowdykes trace the inland edge of the sinuous seawall for its entire length. Common reed, sea clubrush and fennel pondweed are typical plants of these brackish areas where reed warbler and reed bunting nest in spring, and heron and little grebe search for food. Wet flushes, dykes and small pools in the pasture support aquatic plants such as water crowfoot, and breeding populations of dragonflies and other aquatic species.

Golden plover, lapwing, brent geese and wigeon feed or roost on the winter-wet grassland.

On the other side of the seawall, and within the reserve boundary, creeks, salt marsh and exposed mud support typical communities of coastal mud-dwelling invertebrates, coastal birds and salt marsh flora. Scattered shingle spits have yellow-horned poppy, and also a small breeding colony of little terns.

The main pillars of management are water level control and getting the right level of grazing to create suitable conditions for birds and other wildlife.

Facilities

Accessibility

  • Disabled access

Children

  • Children welcome

Parking

  • Free Parking

Property Facilities

  • Dogs Accepted
  • Public toilets

Target Markets

  • Accepts groups
  • Coach parties accepted

Map & Directions

Tollesbury Wick Marshes

Type:Nature Reserve

Off Mell Road, Tollesbury, Essex, CM9 8SE

Tel: 01621 862960

Opening Times

* Jan - Dec

What's Nearby

  1. Walkers along the sea wall at Tollesbury will be fascinated by the large red ship moored…

    0.31 miles away
  2. Tollesbury Congregational Church has served the village since 1803.

    0.54 miles away
  3. WhimbrelArt in Tollesbury is a gallery specialising in the work of local artists and…

    0.57 miles away
  1. St Mary the Virgin is a beautiful Grade II* Listed church in the village of Tollesbury.…

    0.6 miles away
  2. Tollesbury War Memorial stands in the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, a beautiful Grade…

    0.6 miles away
  3. Tollesbury's little prison was opened in 1700 and was in operation for around a century…

    0.61 miles away
  4. This is a large, open site with good views across the Blackwater Estuary towards St…

    0.64 miles away
  5. An opportunity to see an abundance of coastal wetland bird species in their natural…

    1.23 miles away
  6. This is a large open site on the edge of the village with views to the south towards the…

    2.33 miles away
  7. Bradwell Marina, on the Blackwater Estuary is ideally situated for exploring the river,…

    2.41 miles away
  8. A blue plaque marks D'Arcy House as the home of famous novelist Margery Allingham who…

    2.41 miles away
  9. In the middle of the road junction in Tolleshunt D'Arcy stands the village maypole, one…

    2.42 miles away
  10. St Nicholas Church is Grade I listed. Its churchyard extension, a little way up the road,…

    2.46 miles away
  11. St Lawrence Bay, also known as Stone, is undoubtedly the most beautiful beach in the…

    2.85 miles away
  12. RAF Bradwell Bay is a former Royal Air Force station located on the Dengie Peninsular,…

    2.89 miles away
  13. This 12th century Grade II* Listed church is now owned by the nearby Orthodox Monastery…

    3.2 miles away
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