| Titchwell Marsh | |
|---|---|
 Freshwater lagoon seen from west bank, with Island Hide in the foreground, and the Parrinder wall and hides further back | |
  Titchwell Marsh shown withinNorfolk | |
| Location | Norfolk, East of England, England |
| Coordinates | 52°57′46″N0°36′14″E / 52.9628°N 0.603893°E /52.9628; 0.603893 |
| Area | 171 hectares (420 acres) |
| Website | www |
Titchwell Marsh is an Englishnature reserve owned and managed by theRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Located on the north coast of the county ofNorfolk, between the villages ofTitchwell andThornham, about 8 km (5.0 mi) east of the seaside resort ofHunstanton, its 171 hectares (420 acres) includereed beds,saltmarshes, a freshwaterlagoon and sandy beach, with a small woodland area near the car park. This internationally important reserve is part of the North Norfolk CoastSite of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and theNorfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and is also protected throughNatura 2000,Special Protection Area (SPA) andRamsar listings.
The reserve is important for some scarce breeding birds, such aspied avocets on the islands, andwestern marsh harriers,Eurasian bitterns andbearded reedlings in the reeds. To encourage bitterns to breed, the reed beds have been improved to make them wetter, and the lagoon has been stocked with thecommon rudd. Typical wetland birds such as thewater rail,reed warbler andsedge warbler also appear, andlittle egrets are common. The reserve has regularly attracted rarities, as its location is important formigrating birds. Ducks and geese winter at Titchwell in considerable numbers, and the reserve shelters the endangeredEuropean water vole.
Facilities include threebird hides, aseawatching platform, two nature trails, and avisitor centre. Because of concerns aboutclimate change, a major project in 2010 and 2011 brought improvements to the banks around the freshwater lagoon and the conversion of thebrackish lagoon to tidal saltmarsh, a more effective barrier to encroachment by the sea.
Titchwell Marsh isarchaeologically significant, with artefacts dating back to theUpper Paleolithic, and has remains of military constructions from both world wars. These include brickwork from aFirst World War military hospital and 1940s artillery targets forarmoured fighting vehicles and warplanes in theSecond World War.
Titchwell has a long history of human occupation. Populations of bothModern andNeanderthal people were present in Norfolk before the lastglaciation between 100,000 and 10,000 years ago, and returned as the ice retreated north. Thearchaeological record is poor until about 20,000 years ago, partly due to the prevailing conditions, but also because the coastline was much further north than at present, so that many sites are now under the sea.[1] EarlyMesolithicflint tools with characteristicblades up to 15 cm (5.9 in)[2] long found on the present-day coast at Titchwell date from a time when it was 60–70 km (37–43 mi) from the sea. Other flint tools have been found dating from theUpper Paleolithic to theNeolithic. As the ice retreated during the Mesolithic, the sea level rose, filling what is now theNorth Sea, and bringing the Norfolk coastline much closer to its present line;[1] the remains of submerged forests can still be detected at low tide.[3] By 11,000 BC, the makers of the long blades had gone, and peat marshes had formed behind an offshorebarrier island or spit.[1] A layer of peat formed between 1920 and 1680 BC and another between 1020 and 830 BC, indicating marshy conditions;[4] polished Neolithic axes found in those layers were blackened by exposure to the peat.[5]
Two possible timber platforms were identified within the peat at Titchwell, and may be prehistoric. SimilarBronze Age structures are rare, and they may be significant in providing information about early timber construction methods.[6]Medieval and later pottery has been found at Titchwell, and the peat andsilts which overlay thesediments deposited by the retreatingglaciers have signs of post-medieval ploughing.[5]
The draining of Norfolk's coastal marshes commenced in the late 17th and 18th centuries, and sea defences including the "Old Lord's Bank" at Titchwell were shown in maps from 1786 and 1797.[1] For the next 170 years or so, the reclaimed marsh wasarable, producing crops and beef cattle.[7] A huge influx ofPallas's sandgrouse into Britain in 1853 led to several arrivals at Titchwell, including mated pairs. The last bird seen was on the saltmarsh, and the rest were on the dunes or inmarram grass; many were shot.[8][9]
Thornham Marsh, immediately west of Titchwell, was used between 1914 and 1918 by theRoyal Flying Corps as abombing range. Some brickwork on Titchwell Marsh is all that remains of a military hospital dating from that period. A First World War concrete building along the west bank was let as holiday accommodation until theBritish Army returned in 1942.[10]
During theSecond World War, military defences were constructed at Titchwell. The drainage of farmland behind the banks was stopped, reflooding the former marshland;[11] zigzag ditches were dug, andpillboxes built into Old Lord's Bank.[5] Between 1942 and 1945, the marsh was used by theRoyal Tank Regiment;[10] anarmoured fighting vehicle gunnery range was established and new banks were constructed for firing practice, with targets set at 900 m (980 yd) intervals. Some of the still extant islands were built to hold "pop-up" targets, operated by cables from winches in a building whose foundations lie below Island Hide. Remains of the triangular concrete track used by the tanks also survive.[10][11] Military activities continued after the war, with theRoyal Air Force returning to Thornham Marsh between 1950 and 1959. Bombing practice was supervised from a control tower, which was demolished in 1962, leaving only a concrete structure opposite the end of Titchwell's west bank.[5][10] The remains of two Second World WarCovenanter tanks, probably used as targets, are sometimes exposed at low tide.[11]
The wreck of the SSVina, a cargo steamer built in 1894, can be seen at low tide. In 1944, she was anchored offshore for use as an RAFtarget when a gale dragged her to her present location and sank her. After the war, some of the wreck was salvaged as scrap.[12] The remains of theVina are accessible at low tide, but visiting them is potentially hazardous as the wreck is quickly cut off and submerged by the incoming tide.[13][14] A warning sign on the wreck advises anyone reaching it to return to the beach immediately.[15]
Behind the sea wall, the marshes were drained after the war, and reverted to farmland, but the bank was breached in theNorth Sea flood of 1953, returning the whole area to tidal saltmarsh dominated bysea aster.[16] The construction of a new sea wall across the reserve created a shallow freshwater lagoon, with areed bed on its northern side and a vegetation-freebrackish marsh.[16]
Between 1970 and 1972, a pair ofMontagu's harriers, Britain's rarest breedingbirds of prey, nested in the reed bed. The RSPB bought the reserve in 1973 for £53,000 (£810,000 in 2025).[17] The Montagu's harriers did not return, butmarsh harriers did, and the RSPB commenced improving the habitat and facilities, including embanking the lagoons and building a car park and visitor centre. Avocets, then still very rare in the UK, first bred here in 1984. The visitor centre facilities were improved between 1987 and 1989 to cope with the numbers of visitors.[18]
In 1991, the sea broke through the dunes at the eastern end of the beach near the former Tern Hide, and the dunes started toerode. The remains of the Second World War tanks first appeared around this time. In the following year the boardwalk at the beach end of the west bank was constructed to protect the dunes, and theseawatching platform was added at its northern end. 12 hectares (30 acres) of land to the east of the reserve was bought in 1993; much of this was formerly part of the firing range, and large amounts ofbarbed wire caused problems when the area was being converted to reed bed and wet grazing meadow. Over the winter, an old hide on the West Bank was demolished and replaced with the current Island Hide. Storms in February 1996 removed most of the dunes east of the boardwalk, and eroded those to the west. The Tern Hide, now cut off at high tide, was dismantled. Developments at the end of the 20th century included the 1997 extension of the visitor centre, which included building a cafe, and the erection of Fen Hide in 1999, together with a boardwalk path to the hide, and a dragonfly pond.[18]
The reserve covers 171 hectares (420 acres),[16] and is of international importance for its breeding and wintering birds. It was designated as aSite of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1973, and in 1986 it was subsumed into the 7,700 hectares (19,000 acres) North Norfolk Coast SSSI. The larger area is now additionally protected throughNatura 2000,Special Protection Area (SPA) andRamsar listings, and is part of theNorfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).[19][20][21] This is the RSPB's most visited reserve, with about 92,000 visitors annually.[22]
Titchwell Marsh is next to theA149 road and buses stop outside the reserve.[23] The main track to the beach is a publicright-of-way, and the only part of the reserve where dogs are permitted. The reserve is open all year, and access is free, although non-members are charged for using the car park. The main part of the reserve is accessed from the visitor centre using the 1 km (1,050 yd) West Bank footpath. After leaving the woodland around the visitor centre, there are two short paths running from the main path; the 200 m (220 yd) Fen Trail to a hide overlooking the reed bed, and the 100 m (110 yd) Meadow Trail boardwalk loop through wet marsh and past the dragonfly pond. The main footpath continues north past the reedbed to the freshwater lagoon and the Island Hide, then reaches a bank running across the reserve. The new Parrinder hides are placed along this wall. The footpath continues past a tidal lagoon, and over another bank to a saltmarsh, formerly ending at a raised wooden seawatching platform on the dunes by the beach.[24]
The visitor centre and shop are open daily except Christmas Day andBoxing Day.[25][26] Most of the reserve and its facilities arewheelchair accessible, but the last part of the path to the beach is rough, and accessed via a steep bank.[27]
The key breeding species are reed bed specialists such as the marsh harrier, Eurasian bittern and bearded reedling, together with the avocet, the RSPB's symbolic bird.[28] Bitterns stopped breeding on the reserve in 1989 due to inadequate habitat and a lack of sufficient large food fish;[29] althoughEuropean eels, a favoured food, are present, the numbers are too low.[30] These problems were addressed by managing water levels and excavating some of the reed bed to create open, reed-fringed pools, and stocking the lagoon with the common rudd; breeding recommenced in 2004.[29] In 2011, there were 80 avocet nests, two pairs of Eurasian bitterns, and four pairs of marsh harriers, the latter successfullyfledging seven young.[31]
Other breeding birds includeringed plovers andEurasian oystercatchers in the sand dunes, andwater rails in the reed bed.Sedge,reed andCetti's warblers all nest in the wetland, andlittle egrets are now common on the reserve. In early summer, scarcermigrants like thelittle gull,black tern,Eurasian spoonbills andgarganey may pass through on their way to breed elsewhere.[32]
In the autumn, species arrive from the north, some, such asblack-tailed godwits,curlew sandpipers andlittle stints just passing through, pausing for a few days to refuel, others staying for the winter.[33][34] This is also a good time to see bearded reedlings.[35] Offshore,great andArctic skuas,northern gannets andblack-legged kittiwakes may pass close by in favourable winds.[32]
Large numbers of ducks winter on the reserve, including manyEurasian wigeons,Eurasian teals,mallards andgadwalls, and smaller counts ofgoldeneyes andnorthern pintails.[33] Offshore, there may be large "rafts" ofcommon scoters, and smaller numbers ofcommon eiders,long-tailed ducks,velvet scoters[35] andred-throated divers.Brent geese feed onsea lettuce and othergreen algae,[36] and hundreds ofEuropean golden plovers may roost on the reserve at high tide.[32] In the evenings, large flocks ofpink-footed geese fly over Titchwell on their way to roost, andbarn owls andhen harriers quarter the marshes.[33] This is the season for flocks oflesser redpolls, sometimes accompanied by a rarercommon redpoll,[35] andsnow buntings are to be found on the beach.[32]
The reserve's location means thatmigrants may be found, sometimes in huge numbers when the weather conditions are right,[37][38] sometimes includingvagrant rarities.[39] Major rarities in recent years include aPacific golden plover and agreat knot in 2016,[40] and aslender-billed gull and apenduline tit in 2014.[41]
Water voles are an endangered species in the UK, with a huge decline in numbers, mainly due to predation by the introducedAmerican mink.[42] They are still common at Titchwell, which is one of a number ofEast Anglian sites now of national importance for this species.[43] Bothcommon andgrey seals can be seen off the beach.[35] Othervertebrates includeEuropean eels,common toads andthree-spined sticklebacks.[16]
In summer, the dragonfly pond can hold up to ten species ofdragonflies and damselflies.[33] The nationally scarce mothflame wainscot has bred at Titchwell since 1996;[44] otherLepidoptera may include migrants such as thepainted lady,[35] thediamondback moth,[45] and especially thesilver Y, which can occur in huge numbers; 90,000 were recorded on the reserve in July 2010, feeding onsea lavender.[46]
The saltmarsh containsglassworts andcommon cord grass in the most exposed regions, with a succession of plants following on as the marsh becomes more established: first sea aster, then mainly sea lavender, withsea purslane in the creeks and smaller areas ofsea plantain and other common marsh plants. The drier areas contain maritime grasses such assea couch grass andsea poa grass. The reedbeds are dominated bycommon reed withsaltmarsh rush,brackish water crowfoot,sea clubrush andcommon bulrush also common in the various wetland habitats.[19]
As the RSPB's busiest reserve, Titchwell Marsh has a significant economic impact on its locality. A 2002 survey reported that an estimated 137,700 visitors spent £1.8 million locally in 1998.[47] The tiny village ofTitchwell has two three-star hotels and a shop sellingtelescopes andbinoculars, although it does not have a general store or apublic house.[48][49][50]
A 2005 survey at Titchwell and five other North Norfolk coastal sites found that 39 per cent of visitors gavebirdwatching as the main purpose of their visit. The 7.7 million day visitors and 5.5 million who made overnight stays in the area in 1999 are estimated to have spent £122 million, and created the equivalent of 2,325 full-time jobs.[51]
The soft rocks of the North Norfolk coast have been attacked by the sea for centuries;[52] at Titchwell Marsh, the beach and sand dunes protecting the northern edge of the reserve have been eroded, andclimate change has increased the likelihood of damage to the freshwater areas of the reserve. The predicted increasingly stormy weather could damage the dune system and expose the soft earth banks to wave damage, or the sea could just over-top the defences, as it did in the 1953 floods. Either way, theconservation value of the reserve would be adversely affected, especially through the potential loss of the bitterns. Rather than reinforce the outer bank, it was decided to undertake a managed realignment.[53] Between 2010 and 2011, the banks on the east and west of the reserve were reinforced, and the sea wall to the north of the fresh marsh was rebuilt on the line of the old Parrinder bank.[54] The old Parrinder Hide was replaced by a pair of modern hides, retaining the original name. Designed by HaysomWardMiller, these hides won an award fromRIBA for their architectural style.[55] The formerbrackish marsh north of the new wall has been modified by creating a breach in the east bank. This will allow tidal flooding and the eventual establishment of saltmarsh on what is now named Volunteer Marsh. The new saltmarsh will protect the rebuilt Parrinder wall, slowing erosion.[54] Nevertheless, it is estimated that by 2060 the beach may have advanced halfway across the new tidal area.[56] Other improvements were made to the reed beds and islands in the freshwater lagoon, and a newsluice was installed. New reedbeds were created east of Fen Hide, which can be accessed by trails opened in 2012.[54] The first part of the trail is open all year, but the "autumn trail", running up from the woodland in the southeastern corner of the reserve, is accessible only from August to October.[24]
Familiar animals - the red squirrel and the water vole - have been put in the second most urgent category of Endangered.
