Titchwell Marsh Nature Reserve
Titchwell Marsh Nature Reserve was created between 1974 and 1978 and covers 379ha of the North Norfolk Coastline. The reserve is unusual in that it provides a mosaic of freshwater reedbeds, marshes and brackish habitats adjacent to the huge swathe of intertidal mudflats and salt marshes that make up the North Norfolk Coast. It provides valuable freshwater for waders and wildfowl that use the North Norfolk coast as well as safe roosting sites at high tide when the beaches and salt marshes are under water.
It is home to one of the largest reedbeds in Norfolk and is one of the few coastal reedbed sites away from the Suffolk Coast that regularly supports breeding bittern. As a result it has been designated as a Special Protection Area under the Directive 79/409 EEC on the Conservation of Wild Birds; a Ramsar site designated under the 1971 Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat; a Special Area of Conservation designated under the Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Flora and Fauna; and a Site of Special Scientific Interest designated under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act).
It is also part of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the North Norfolk Coast Biosphere Reserve. The reserve is an extremely important resource as it provides feeding, roosting, breeding, over wintering and staging sites for many bird species. The site is noted for internationally important numbers of wintering knot and bar-tailed godwit, and nationally important numbers of wintering golden plover and ruff. The marine and intertidal areas support nationally important numbers of red-necked and slavonian grebes, common scoter and sanderling, as well as internationally and nationally important salt marsh plant communities.
This site also supports an important assemblage of several rare moths, beetles and dipteran flies. In addition, the reserve makes a significant contribution to the local economy with over 80,000 visitors each year, coming to enjoy close views of wildlife and experience the natural beauty of the North Norfolk Coast. The RSPB has worked to maintain the internationally important reserve for as long as possible despite decades of coastal erosion. A number of commissioned studies have indicated that the flood defences protecting the freshwater and brackish habitats are not sustainable, due to a combination of their standard and condition, and pressure from sea level rise and changing coastal processes.
After extensive discussion and consultation, over the past six years the RSPB is planning to undertake a managed realignment, by making a breach in the east bank sea wall ,moving the primary sea defence inland and allowing new intertidal sediment ecosystems to develop over the current brackish part of the reserve. In total, 11ha of new mudflats, salt marsh and small lagoons will be created, and 7.4ha of intertidal salt marsh and sand dunes will be protected from damage that would have been caused by coastal squeeze if the North Wall had been turned into a hard sea defence. In addition, the existing freshwater habitats will be protected. Beach-nesting species such as ringed plover will still be able to continue nesting and the habitat of the dune tiger beetle will be protected. In addition, we hope to be able to attract little terns back as a nesting species. During the winter, internationally important numbers of migratory wading birds are attracted to the North Norfolk Coast to take advantage of our relatively warm climate.
The new intertidal areas will provide new feeding areas for these birds and are likely to be very well used as the habitats will be based on very fine, silty sediments, unlike the large areas of sand based sediment habitats that tend to occur on this part of the coast. This project is recognized as an innovative example of adaptation to coastal change and given the reserves 80,000 visitors a year, will be very high profile. A great deal of time and effort has been taken by the RSPB to ensure members, reserve visitors and the local community appreciate why the work is required and how it will secure the future of the reserve for the next 50 years at least. The first phase of the project, planned to started in August 2009, to protect the existing reedbed by making major improvements to the reserve's west bank. This bank is very low and extremely vulnerable to overtopping during storm events. It has been assessed as having a residual life of less than five years leaving the site in a precarious position.