Suffolk Wildlife
Trust
Suffolk Wildlife Trust has a fine collection of
55 reserves ranging from heath to wetlands.
No admission charges.The trust holds regu-
lar special events at reserves.
Web: www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
HQ tel: 01473 890089
Lackford Lakes
Reserve type: More than 300 acres, much
of it open water in former gravel pits, with
reedbed and woodland.
Location: On the A1101 between Flempton
and Lackford, west of Bury St Edmunds,
Suffolk.
You can see: Kingfishers, wildfowl, a large
winter gull roost many passing migrants
including osprey, hobby, black tern and
gree sandpiper. Also many dragonflies,
orchids and otters.
Best time to visit: Good all year but spring
sees remaining wintering birds mixed with
passing migrants and incoming nesters with
singing nightingales.
Opening times: Reserve; dawn to dusk.
Visitor centre; Wednesday to Sunday 10am
to 4pm from 1 November to 31 March and
10am to 5pm from 1 April to 31 October.
No dogs, please.
Facilities: Car park, shop, refreshments, toi-
lets seven hides including three with wheel-
chair access, mobility buggy available.
Tel: 01284 728706 Email: lackford.cen-
tre@ suffolkwildlifetrust.org
Redgrave and Lopham Fen
Reserve type: At 402 acres, the largest
remaining river valley fen in England with
wet heathland, open water, scrub and
woodland.
Location: Off the A1066 between South
Lopham, Suffolk, and Diss.
You can see: Many nationally rare species
including the fen raft spider, otter, water
vole, saw sedge and the insectivorous
plants bladderwort and butterwort. Also
breeding snipe and bearded tit, plus drag-
onflies, kingfishers and semi-wild Konik
ponies.
Best time to visit: April to September for
plants and insects.
Opening times: Open all year. Visitor cen-
tre; weekends and bank holidays 10am to
4pm in winter, 5pm from April.
Facilities: Car park, refreshments, toilets
and shop. Can be muddy. Dogs allowed on
short leads.
Tel: 01379 688333 Email: redgrave.cen-
tre@suffolkwildlifetrust.org
Bradfield Woods
Reserve type: Ancient woodland that has
been traditionally managed by coppicing
since 1252. Covers 156 acres.
Location: Off the A134 between Bradfield
St George and Felsham, Suffolk. Shown on
Ordnance Survey maps as Felshamhall
Wood.
You can see: 370 plant species including
rare oxlip and early purple orchid. Birds
include nightingale, garden warbler and
blackcap. You may also see three species
of deer, while 24 of our 60 butterfly species
are recorded here.
Best time to visit: April and may for spring
flora, spring for migrant birds, October and
November for fungi.
Opening times: Open all year.
Facilities: Wheelchair and pushchair
access on main ride but it is bumpy and
often wet and sticky. Wood products, like
firewood and peasticks, on sale and by
order. Dogs allowed on leads.
Tel: 01449 737996 (answer machine)
Royal Society for
the Protection of
Birds
The RSPB has some of its most interesting
reserves in East Anglia. All reserves are free
to RSPB members.
Web: www.rspb.org.uk
HQ tel: 01767 680551
Minsmere
Reserve type: 2,400 acres of beach,
coastal heath, water and reedbed
Location: Signposted from the A12 and
Westleton, Suffolk.
You can see: Over 330 bird species
recorded including avocets, nightjars,
marsh harriers and bitterns. Reserve has a
common tern colony, and little terns usual-
ly nest on the beach.
Best time to visit: Spring and summer for
breeding birds, autumn for rarities.
Opening times: Open daily, except 25 and
26 December.
Visitor centre open 9 am to 5 pm (4 pm Nov
to Jan)
RSPB Shop open 10 am to 5 pm (4 pm Nov
- Jan)
Tearoom open 10 am to 4.30 pm (4 pm Nov
- Jan)
Facilities: Car park and toilets, including
disabled toilet and baby change facilities.
Extensive programme of guided walks and
family activities � see website for details.
Two nature trails and eight viewing hides
are partially wheelchair accessible.
No dogs, except assistance dogs
Admission prices: Adult �5, children �1.50,
families �10, concessions �3.
Tel: 01728 648281
Titchwell Marsh
Reserve type: Coastal reserve with a large
reedbed, small woodland, sandy beach,
saltmarsh and shallow fresh and saltwater
lagoons.
Location: Five miles east on Hunstanton,
Norfolk, on the A149.
You can see: Avocets and other waders,
marsh harriers, reedbed birds, terns.
Best time to visit: As Minsmere.
Opening times: Visitor centre and shop
open daily from 9.30am to 5.00pm (9.30 -
4.00pm, Nov - March).
Facilities: Visitor centre, car park, cycle
park, picnic area, servery, toilets, binocular
hire, shop, three hides all with wheelchair
access.
Admission prices: Car park charges of �4
for cars, �10 minibuses and �20 coaches.
Tel: 01485 210779
Snettisham
Reserve type: Coastal reserve overlooking
the Wash, including a number of brackish
gravel pits.
Location: Between King's Lynn and
Hunstanton, Norfolk, signposted from the
A149 at Snettisham.
You can see: Many thousands of wading
birds and ducks, nesting gulls and terns, up
to 40,000 pink-footed geese.
Best time to visit: Autumn and winter for
spectacle of tens of thousands of waders
and ducks moving up to the beach as the
tides rise, early morning from November to
early February for wintering geese, summer
for nesting birds.
Opening times: Reserve is open at all
times.
Facilities: Car park, four hides including
two with wheelchair access. For disabled
access please phone the reserve.No toilets
� the nearest public toilets are in a picnic
site signposted off the A149
Dersingham/Snettisham bypass.
Admission prices: None.
Tel: 01485 542689
Lakenheath Fen
Opened last year, where there are Golden
Oriols, breeding in May, and two pairs of
Common Cranes
Station Road, Lakenheath, Brandon
IP27 9HD
Visitors' centre, toilets, car park and hot
drinks machine
National Trust
The National Trust has three
reserves in East Anglia, all unusual
and important.
Web: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
HQ tel: 0870 6095388
Orford Ness National Nature
Reserve
Reserve type: Europe's largest
vegetated shingle spit and East
Anglia's strangest reserve because
it was a weapons testing site from
1913 until the mid 1980s, so has
many odd, historic military build-
ings.
Location: Access by ferry from
Orford Quay, Suffolk, 10 miles
east of the A12.
You can see: Coastal habitats
such as grazing marsh, saltmarsh
and vegetated shingle.
Specialised plants like sea pea,
sea campion and yellow-horned
poppy. Variety of birds including
marsh harrier, redshank, lapwing,
little egret and skylark.
Best time to visit: Early to mid-
Summer for best range of flower-
ing plants. Spring and Autumn for
waders and migrating birds.
Facilities: Children's quiz trail,
self-guided trails, Atomic
Weapons Research Establishment
display. Phone for details of guid-
ed walks and events.
Ferry and admission prices:
Adult �6 .90 (NT members � 3.80
), children half price. Pay and dis-
play parking in Orford (not NT).
Tel: 01394 450900, info line 01394
450057.
Wicken Fen
Reserve type: Remnant of the
Fens before drainage. Britain's
oldest nature reserve managed by
The National Trust since 1899.
Location: On the A1123 at
Wicken, Cambridgeshire, three
miles west of Soham.
You can see: Rich fenland (marsh
and shallow water) habitat with
rare plants, insects and birds.
Many dragonflies. Typical Fen cot-
tage and windmill.
Best time to visit: Winter for win-
tering wildfowl and waders, sum-
mer for breeding reedbed birds,
insects and boat trips through the
Fen.
Opening times: Reserve dawn to
dusk. Visitor centre and shop: 7
days a week 10am to 5pm.
Facilities: 0.75 of a mile raised
boardwalk), nature trails, two
tower hides, seven low level hides,
konik ponies and highland cattle,
summer fen boat trips, Fen
Cottage open Sundays and bank
holidays, visitor centre, cafe, shop,
children's trails, events pro-
gramme, car park and disabled
car parking near the visitor centre.
Admission prices: Adult �5.50,
children �2.80 Family �14 (gift
aided)
Tel: 01353 720274
Dunwich Heath
Reserve type: Coastal lowland
heath, woodland, sandy cliffs and
beach.
Location: Access 1 mile south of
Dunwich, signposted from the
A12. Coastlink from Darsham and
Saxmundham rail stations. Book
on 01728 833526
You can see: Open tracts of
heather and gorse, shady woods,
wetland, sandy cliffs and beach.
Habitats provide for a wide variety
of birds, mammals, reptiles and
insects including scarce Dartford
warblers, ant-lions and the rare
grey-hair grass.
Best time to visit: June to
September for flowering plants,
including heathers. Spring and
autumn for migrating birds, por-
poise and seals.
Opening times: Reserve open all
year, dawn to dusk. Tearoom and
giftshop at specific times.
Facilities: Self-guided trails,
events programme, Heathland
Explorers Kids Club, SeaWatch
Centre with identification aids and
telescopes, Coastguard Tearoom
and Giftshop. Phone for details of
events.
Tel: 01728 648501 (Property
Office), 01728 648505 (Bookings
and Tearoom/shop).
NORFOLK
ORNITHOLOGISTS'
ASSOCIATION
Norfolk Ornithologists' Association is the premier
bird study group in Norfolk, managing a total of
seven reserves, including Hempton Marsh at
Fakenham, Walsey Hills at Salthouse, Holme Bird
Observatory and Redwell Marsh at Holme.
Web: www.noa.org.uk
HQ tel: 01485 525406
Holme Bird Observatory
Reserve type: A seven-acre site of pine, scrub and
grass-covered coastal sand dune with SSSI status.
Location: Accessible from both Broadwater Road,
Holme, and Thornham Quay (phone for details).
You can see: A migration hotspot with habitat man-
aged specifically for birds and insects. Over 300
species recorded at this internationally-renowned
site. The Observatory has also recorded over 400
moths, including many continental migrants.
Best time to visit: Plenty of interest all year round.
Opening times: 9am to 5pm (dawn to dusk acccess
to all reserves and Holme Beach for members).
Facilities: Visitors centre and car park, ringing labo-
ratory, heligoland trap, six hides including Norfolk's
first purpose-built sea-watching hide, and a variety
of drinking pools and feeding stations.
Admission prices: Adults �3, children Under 16
free.
Tel: 01485 525406 or mobile 07966 713053
Please note that Holme Bird Observatory is separate
from the adjacent NWT Holme Dunes Reserve.
A hide at Lackford Lakes, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

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