RSPB Minsmere
Encyclopedia
Minsmere RSPB reserve is a nature reserve
owned and run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
(RSPB) in Suffolk
, England
. It lies on the Suffolk coast to the south of Southwold
and north of Aldeburgh
within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB) and the Suffolk Heritage Coast area. It is protected with SSSI
, SAC
, SPA
and Ramsar Site conservation status.
The 9.69 square kilometres (3.7 sq mi) site was established in 1947 and covers areas of reed bed
, lowland heath
, lowland wet grassland
, and shingle
vegetation. The nature reserve is recognised for its high diversity of bird species and other wildlife and is used as a demonstration of successful reed bed management. It is known as one of the UK's premier bird watching sites.
visitors being recorded at the site.
Up to 30% of the UK's breeding population of Great Bittern
are to be found at Minsmere. It is also of particular conservation importance for its populations of Western Marsh Harrier
, Pied Avocet
, Savi's Warbler
, Bearded Reedling and Reed Bunting
.
Heathland areas are particularly important for populations of Dartford Warbler
and antlion
and woodland areas are important for Nightingale
populations. Other species found at Minsmere include adders
, otter, water vole and one of the largest herds of Red deer
in England.
Over 1000 species of Lepidoptera
(moths and butterflies) have been recorded at Minsmere. The 32 recorded butterfly
species include the Silver-studded Blue
, the Camberwell Beauty and the Queen of Spain Fritillary
. In September 2004 the moth species Catocala conjuncta
, which was previously unrecorded in Britain was found on the reserve. To acknowledge its place of capture it was given the common name
Minsmere Crimson Underwing.
(SPA) and Ramsar Site
. It is also protected as part of the 'Minsmere to Walberswick Heaths and Marshes' Special Area of Conservation
(SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI). The site is also included in the area covered by the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB) and the Suffolk Heritage Coast area.
. The main reed beds are cut on a seven year rotation, with around 3 hectares (7.4 acre) cut annually and with ditches on a five to seven year rotation.
Grazing of animals is used throughout the reserve to prevent the expansion of scrubland and to control ecological succession. In 2001 eight Polish Konik
horses where bought to the reserve from a herd run by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust
and now form a separate breeding herd.
This breed is used at a number of nature reserves in England to provide year round, low intensity grazing of wetland areas. They are selected for their hardiness and ability to graze in very wet conditions. At Minsmere they, along with a herd of Highland cattle
, help maintain the boundary between reed beds and open water areas and help control reed density, providing open water feeding pools for bitterns within the reed beds.
Away from the reed beds Exmoor ponies
and sheep are used to graze grassland and heath areas. The water levels and salinity of lagoons are controlled and during winter and spring grassland areas are flooded for the various bird populations. In woodland areas invasive plants are controlled and some areas fenced off to prevent damage from deer.
The heathland and acidic grassland areas of Minsmere are managed with grazing, heather and scrub control and removal of invasive plants. In 1989, 158 hectares (390.4 acre) of former arable land
was purchased in a project to recreate lowland heath and acidic grassland habitat by acidification
of the soil. The aim being to join fragmented patches of heathland together and to provide increased habitat for the Stone Curlew, Woodlark and Nightjar, three threatened bird species. In 2003, the success of this project was highlighted when stone curlew
s returned to nest for the first time at Minsmere and in 2007 two pairs successfully fledged six chicks.
s breed. In 1979, nine booming males where counted but the population at Minsmere has varied over time, reaching a low of only one booming male in 1991. The decline in bitterns is believed to be connected to the degradation and drying up, between the 1970s and 1990s, of the reed bed habitat it depends on. To combat this, during the 1990s an extensive program to restore large areas of the reed beds was undertaken with funding from the European Union
LIFE Fund
.
Over four years 38 hectares (93.9 acre) of reed bed that had dried out were excavated and lowered with layers of built up leaf litter and soil being removed. A total of 4,990 m of old ditches and meres
were reinstated and reshaped and new ones created. Improved water control was put in place and deeper open water pools covering 1.6 hectares (4 acre) were created to improve fish numbers. In 1999, the North Levels project set out to create a further 28 hectares (69.2 acre) of prime bittern habitat that maximises a wetland habitat mosaic layout.
The bittern population at Minsmere responded positively to this work. In 2003, there was a count of 8 booming males and 8 to 10 nesting females and between 1994 and 2001 there were 52 bittern chicks that fledged. Many other species including Water Rail
s, Reed Warblers, and otters have benefited from the projects.
. It is also connected to Route 1 of the Sustrans
National Cycle Network
by the Suffolk Coast Cycle route
. The nearest bus access is in the town of Leiston
4 miles (6.4 km) away and rail access is in Darsham
5 miles (8 km) away. Coastlink, a demand responsive bus
service is available from these places to travel to the reserve but requires booking a day in advance. Minsmere reserve is also accessible on foot from Dunwich
Heath, Sizewell
Beach and Eastbridge
, with 12 miles (19.3 km) of public rights of way around reserve. The long-distance walks
, the Suffolk Coast Path and Sandlings Walk
connect to the reserve.
Minsmere has extensive footpaths throughout the site and seven bird hide
s are provided for birdwatching
. Some but not all of these are accessible to wheelchair and buggy users. Only assistance dogs are allowed within the reserve, all other dogs must be kept within the car park, visitors centre or on the public rights of way that surround the site. A visitors centre provides a cafe, picnic area, shop, toilets and baby-changing facilities. There is also an information centre and guided walks, binocular hire and children's 'explorer packs' are available.
Entry to the reserve is free for RSPB members and a fee is charged for non-members. The site is open daily during daylight hours, year round. The visitor centre and facilities are open from 9 am to 5 pm with some seasonal variations.
when the existing grazing marshes were flooded as an anti-invasion measure. The reserve was first established in 1947 when the RSPB leased around 1500 acres (607 ha) from the Ogilive family. This land was then purchased in 1977 with further purchases of surrounding land expanding the reserve over the years.
The ruins of Leiston Abbey
chapel, a scheduled ancient monument, are visible at Minsmere. These archeological ruins are all that remain of the original Leiston Abbey, dating back to 1182. Threatened by flooding, the monks moved the abbey in 1363 to a site 2.5 miles (4 km) further inland. They abbey chapel was eventually abandoned during the dissolution of the monasteries
in 1537. The RSPB commissioned an archeological evaluation of the site and were provided £47,600 for its conservation and repair by English Heritage
and Natural England
.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
owned and run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
(RSPB) in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies on the Suffolk coast to the south of Southwold
Southwold
Southwold is a town on the North Sea coast, in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the North Sea coast at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is around south of Lowestoft and north-east...
and north of Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
(AONB) and the Suffolk Heritage Coast area. It is protected with SSSI
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
, SAC
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
, SPA
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
and Ramsar Site conservation status.
The 9.69 square kilometres (3.7 sq mi) site was established in 1947 and covers areas of reed bed
Reed bed
Reed beds are natural habitats found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions andestuaries. Reed beds are part of a succession from young reed colonising open water or wet ground through a gradation of increasingly dry ground...
, lowland heath
Lowland heath
Lowland Heath is a Biodiversity Action Plan Habitat as it is an ancient wild landscape type. Natural England's Environmental Stewardship scheme describes it as containing dry heath, wet heath and valley mire communities, usually below 250 metres, on acidic soils and shallow peat, typically...
, lowland wet grassland
Wet meadow
A wet meadow is a semi-wetland meadow which is saturated with water throughout much of the year. Wet meadows may occur because of poor drainage or the receipt of large amounts of water from rain or melted snow. They may also occur in riparian zones....
, and shingle
Shingle beach
A shingle beach is a beach which is armoured with pebbles or small- to medium-sized cobbles. Typically, the stone composition may grade from characteristic sizes ranging from two to 200 mm diameter....
vegetation. The nature reserve is recognised for its high diversity of bird species and other wildlife and is used as a demonstration of successful reed bed management. It is known as one of the UK's premier bird watching sites.
Ecology
The Minsmere reserve includes 1.79 square kilometre (0.691122863880638 sq mi) of reed bed habitat, representing 3.6% of the UK's reed beds, as well as areas of open water, lowland heath, grassland, scrub, woodland, dune and shingle vegetation. The reserve is an important breeding, roosting and feeding site for many bird species with over 100 resident species and around a further 240 species of migratoryBird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
visitors being recorded at the site.
Up to 30% of the UK's breeding population of Great Bittern
Great Bittern
The Eurasian Bittern or Great Bittern is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies.-Etymology:...
are to be found at Minsmere. It is also of particular conservation importance for its populations of Western Marsh Harrier
Western Marsh Harrier
The Western Marsh-harrier is a mid-sized harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian Marsh-harrier....
, Pied Avocet
Pied Avocet
The Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, is a large black and white wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. They breed in temperate Europe and western and Central Asia. It is a migratory species and most winter in Africa or southern Asia...
, Savi's Warbler
Savi's Warbler
The Savi's Warbler, Locustella luscinioides, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds in southern Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa....
, Bearded Reedling and Reed Bunting
Reed Bunting
The Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae....
.
Dartford Warbler
The Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata, is a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe, and northwestern Africa. Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy...
and antlion
Antlion
Antlions are a group of insects in the family Myrmeleontidae . The most well-known genus is Myrmeleo. There are about 2,000 species...
and woodland areas are important for Nightingale
Nightingale
The Nightingale , also known as Rufous and Common Nightingale, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
populations. Other species found at Minsmere include adders
Vipera berus
Vipera berus, the common European adder or common European viper, is a venomous viper species that is extremely widespread and can be found throughout most of Western Europe and all the way to Far East Asia. Known by a host of common names including Common adder and Common viper, adders have been...
, otter, water vole and one of the largest herds of Red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
in England.
Over 1000 species of Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
(moths and butterflies) have been recorded at Minsmere. The 32 recorded butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
species include the Silver-studded Blue
Silver-studded Blue
The Silver-studded Blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Appearance, behavior and distribution:So named due to the silvery blue metallic spots on the underside hind wings. The upperside are a rich, deep iridescent blue in the males with a black border and the characteristic Lycid white...
, the Camberwell Beauty and the Queen of Spain Fritillary
Queen of Spain Fritillary
The Queen of Spain Fritillary is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.-Range:It occurs throughout the Palaearctic from North Africa to Japan...
. In September 2004 the moth species Catocala conjuncta
Catocala conjuncta
Catocala conjuncta is a circum-Mediterranean species of moth whose range extends across southern Europe, North Africa and extending to the Middle East. The larvae feed on Holm Oak Quercus ilex....
, which was previously unrecorded in Britain was found on the reserve. To acknowledge its place of capture it was given the common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
Minsmere Crimson Underwing.
Protected status
The Minsmere nature reserve, its habitats and wildlife, are protected under UK law as a part of the 'Minsmere – Walberswick' Special Protection AreaSpecial Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
(SPA) and Ramsar Site
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
. It is also protected as part of the 'Minsmere to Walberswick Heaths and Marshes' Special Area of Conservation
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
(SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI). The site is also included in the area covered by the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
(AONB) and the Suffolk Heritage Coast area.
Management
The RSPB, through the work of employees and volunteers, actively manage the habitats of Minsmere nature reserve to maintain and improve the site for the benefit of wildlife and visitors. The reed beds are maintained by controlling water levels to prevent drought events and through rotational cutting to control ecological successionEcological succession
Ecological succession, is the phenomenon or process by which a community progressively transforms itself until a stable community is formed. It is a fundamental concept in ecology, and refers to more or less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community...
. The main reed beds are cut on a seven year rotation, with around 3 hectares (7.4 acre) cut annually and with ditches on a five to seven year rotation.
Grazing of animals is used throughout the reserve to prevent the expansion of scrubland and to control ecological succession. In 2001 eight Polish Konik
Konik
The Konik or Polish primitive horse is a small horse, a kind of semi-feral horse, originating in Poland. The Polish word konik is the diminutive of koń, the Polish word for "horse" . However, the name "konik" or "Polish konik" is used to refer to certain specific breeds...
horses where bought to the reserve from a herd run by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust
Suffolk Wildlife Trust
The Suffolk Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Suffolk, England.Suffolk Wildlife Trust is the county's leading conservation charity dedicated to all wildlife. Its aim is to create a Living Landscape where wildlife flourishes throughout the countryside, towns and villages...
and now form a separate breeding herd.
This breed is used at a number of nature reserves in England to provide year round, low intensity grazing of wetland areas. They are selected for their hardiness and ability to graze in very wet conditions. At Minsmere they, along with a herd of Highland cattle
Highland cattle
Highland cattle or kyloe are a Scottish breed of beef cattle with long horns and long wavy coats which are coloured black, brindled, red, yellow or dun....
, help maintain the boundary between reed beds and open water areas and help control reed density, providing open water feeding pools for bitterns within the reed beds.
Away from the reed beds Exmoor ponies
Exmoor pony
The Exmoor pony is a horse breed native to the British Isles, where some still roam as semi-feral livestock on Exmoor, a large area of moorland in Devon and Somerset in southwest England. The Exmoor is one of the British Isles mountain and moorland pony breeds, having conformation similar to that...
and sheep are used to graze grassland and heath areas. The water levels and salinity of lagoons are controlled and during winter and spring grassland areas are flooded for the various bird populations. In woodland areas invasive plants are controlled and some areas fenced off to prevent damage from deer.
The heathland and acidic grassland areas of Minsmere are managed with grazing, heather and scrub control and removal of invasive plants. In 1989, 158 hectares (390.4 acre) of former arable land
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
was purchased in a project to recreate lowland heath and acidic grassland habitat by acidification
Soil acidification
Soil acidification is the buildup of hydrogen cations, also called protons, reducing the soil pH. This happens when a proton donor is added to the soil. The donor can be an acid, such as nitric acid and sulfuric acid . It can also be a compound such as aluminium sulfate, which reacts in the soil to...
of the soil. The aim being to join fragmented patches of heathland together and to provide increased habitat for the Stone Curlew, Woodlark and Nightjar, three threatened bird species. In 2003, the success of this project was highlighted when stone curlew
Stone Curlew
The Stone Curlew, Eurasian Thick-knee, or Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus is a northern species of the Burhinidae bird family....
s returned to nest for the first time at Minsmere and in 2007 two pairs successfully fledged six chicks.
Bitterns and reed bed restoration
Minsmere is one of a small number of sites within the UK at which Great BitternGreat Bittern
The Eurasian Bittern or Great Bittern is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies.-Etymology:...
s breed. In 1979, nine booming males where counted but the population at Minsmere has varied over time, reaching a low of only one booming male in 1991. The decline in bitterns is believed to be connected to the degradation and drying up, between the 1970s and 1990s, of the reed bed habitat it depends on. To combat this, during the 1990s an extensive program to restore large areas of the reed beds was undertaken with funding from the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
LIFE Fund
The LIFE Programme
The LIFE Programme is the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental policy and legislation by co-financing pilot or demonstration projects with European added value.LIFE...
.
Over four years 38 hectares (93.9 acre) of reed bed that had dried out were excavated and lowered with layers of built up leaf litter and soil being removed. A total of 4,990 m of old ditches and meres
Mere (lake)
Mere in English refers to a lake that is broad in relation to its depth, e.g. Martin Mere. A significant effect of its shallow depth is that for all or most of the time, it has no thermocline.- Etymology :...
were reinstated and reshaped and new ones created. Improved water control was put in place and deeper open water pools covering 1.6 hectares (4 acre) were created to improve fish numbers. In 1999, the North Levels project set out to create a further 28 hectares (69.2 acre) of prime bittern habitat that maximises a wetland habitat mosaic layout.
The bittern population at Minsmere responded positively to this work. In 2003, there was a count of 8 booming males and 8 to 10 nesting females and between 1994 and 2001 there were 52 bittern chicks that fledged. Many other species including Water Rail
Water Rail
The Water Rail is a bird of the rail family which breeds in well-vegetated wetlands across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Northern and eastern populations are migratory, but this species is a permanent resident in the warmer parts of its breeding range...
s, Reed Warblers, and otters have benefited from the projects.
Access and facilities
The reserve is accessible by car from the A12 via the village of WestletonWestleton
Westleton is a village in the English county of Suffolk. It is located north of Leiston and miles north-east of Saxmundham near the North Sea coast. The village is on the edge of the Suffolk Sandlings, an area of lowland heathland...
. It is also connected to Route 1 of the Sustrans
Sustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
by the Suffolk Coast Cycle route
Regional Cycle Route 42
Regional Cycle Route 42 is a regional bicycling route in Suffolk, England from Snape to Bramfield through the Suffolk Coast and Heaths, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-Snape to Minsmere:Snape | Friston | Knodishall | Eastbridge | Dunwich | Bramfield...
. The nearest bus access is in the town of Leiston
Leiston
Leiston is a town in eastern Suffolk, England. It is situated near Saxmundham and Aldeburgh, about from the North Sea coast and is northeast of Ipswich and northeast from London...
4 miles (6.4 km) away and rail access is in Darsham
Darsham
Darsham is a village in Suffolk, England. It is located approximately north east of Saxmundham. The village is bypassed by the A12 and is served by Darsham railway station, which is approximately one mile away from the village centre, on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line.The name of the...
5 miles (8 km) away. Coastlink, a demand responsive bus
Demand responsive transport
Demand Responsive Transport or Demand-Responsive Transit or Demand Responsive Service or Dial-a-ride or Flexible Transport Services is "an advanced, user-oriented form of public transport characterised by flexible routing and scheduling of small/medium vehicles operating in shared-ride mode...
service is available from these places to travel to the reserve but requires booking a day in advance. Minsmere reserve is also accessible on foot from Dunwich
Dunwich
Dunwich is a small town in Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.Dunwich was the capital of East Anglia 1500 years ago but the harbour and most of the town have since disappeared due to coastal erosion. Its decline began in 1286 when a sea surge hit the East Anglian coast, and...
Heath, Sizewell
Sizewell
Sizewell is a small fishing village with a few holiday homes in the county of Suffolk, England. It is located on the East Anglian coast just north of the larger holiday villages of Thorpeness and Aldeburgh, and two miles from the town of Leiston. It is within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.The...
Beach and Eastbridge
Eastbridge
Eastbridge is a village in Suffolk, England. It is located approximately five miles east northeast of Saxmundham. The village is two miles from the North Sea....
, with 12 miles (19.3 km) of public rights of way around reserve. The long-distance walks
Long-distance trail
Long-distance trails are the longer recreational trails mainly through rural areas, used for non-motorised recreational travelling ....
, the Suffolk Coast Path and Sandlings Walk
Sandlings Walk
The Sandlings Walk is a long-distance path in Suffolk, England. It runs through an area of lowland heath, Britain's rarest wildlife habitat, and the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty....
connect to the reserve.
Minsmere has extensive footpaths throughout the site and seven bird hide
Bird hide
A bird hide is a shelter, often camouflaged, that is used to observe wildlife, especially birds, at close quarters. Although hides were once built chiefly as hunting aids, they are now commonly found in parks and wetlands for the use of bird watchers, ornithologists and other observers who do not...
s are provided for birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
. Some but not all of these are accessible to wheelchair and buggy users. Only assistance dogs are allowed within the reserve, all other dogs must be kept within the car park, visitors centre or on the public rights of way that surround the site. A visitors centre provides a cafe, picnic area, shop, toilets and baby-changing facilities. There is also an information centre and guided walks, binocular hire and children's 'explorer packs' are available.
Entry to the reserve is free for RSPB members and a fee is charged for non-members. The site is open daily during daylight hours, year round. The visitor centre and facilities are open from 9 am to 5 pm with some seasonal variations.
History
Reed beds were established at Minsmere during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when the existing grazing marshes were flooded as an anti-invasion measure. The reserve was first established in 1947 when the RSPB leased around 1500 acres (607 ha) from the Ogilive family. This land was then purchased in 1977 with further purchases of surrounding land expanding the reserve over the years.
The ruins of Leiston Abbey
Leiston Abbey
Leiston Abbey, in Suffolk, England, was formerly known as St Mary's Abbey. It was founded in 1182 at Minsmere by Ranulf de Glanville, Lord Chief Justice to Henry II...
chapel, a scheduled ancient monument, are visible at Minsmere. These archeological ruins are all that remain of the original Leiston Abbey, dating back to 1182. Threatened by flooding, the monks moved the abbey in 1363 to a site 2.5 miles (4 km) further inland. They abbey chapel was eventually abandoned during the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1537. The RSPB commissioned an archeological evaluation of the site and were provided £47,600 for its conservation and repair by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
and Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
.
External links
- RSPB's Minsmere pages
- Minsmere on the VisitWoods website