Landguard Nature Reserve, Felixstowe
Ordnance Survey map reference:
TM287322
Follow the link to
view an online map (new window).
Landguard Nature Reserve covers an area of 25ha and is jointly
owned by Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Coastal District
Council who employ the Landguard Ranger. The nature reserve
supports over 440 species of wild flowers and grasses including the
nationally rare Stinking Goosefoot and has been designated an a
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Immediately
alongside the nature reserve the
Landguard
Bird Observatory (new window) run by the Landguard
Conservation Trust has been recording bird migration since
1982. As a result of this work Landguard is now recognised as
a very important landfall for migratory birds.
The main car park for the reserve is at Manor Terrace at the
north of the peninsula, where there are also public conveniences.
There is also a foot-ferry service (new window) operating from
Harwich and Shotley during the spring and summer.
Elsewhere on the peninsula there is a viewing area which
overlooks the Port of Felixstowe and the Orwell Estuary.
Landguard Fort which is an Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) owned
by
English Heritage (new window) and managed by
the Landguard Fort Trust (new window)
and Felixstowe Museum (new window) managed by
the Felixstowe Museum Trust. All the different interests at
Landguard work closely together through the Landguard
Partnership.
The Haven Nature Reserve, Thorpeness
Ordnance Survey map reference:
TM467577
Follow the link to
view an online map (new window).
The Haven is situated between the town of
Aldeburgh and village of Thorpeness in the heart of the
Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty (new window) and is immediately adjacent to
the
RSPB nature reserve at North Warren (new
window).
The Haven has important communities of wild flowers growing on
both the shingle beach and the marsh edge. Yellow-horned Poppy, Sea
Kale and Sea Pea all thrive here. Ground nesting birds such as
Ringed Plovers are also found on the shingle beach and migrant
Clouded Yellow butterflies may be seen in the summer months.
Patches of goarse and scrub provide important cover for nesting
Linnets and Whitethroats. The nature reserve also lies on the route
of the
Suffolk Coast and Heaths Path (new
window).
The Haven is partly owned by the RSPB and partly by Suffolk
Coastal. The land is managed through a three-way partnership also
involving the Suffolk Wildlife Trust (new window). There are
car and cycle parking facilities
available.