The site is a local nature reserve situated
to the north of Aldeburgh, and is bounded
on the east by the coastal shingle bar between Aldeburgh and Thorpness. The
shingle bar was formed several hundred years ago across the mouth of the tidal
estuary/saltmarsh of the Hundred River, known as 'the Haven'. To the west the site
is bounded by the main road out of the Aldeburgh.
It contains three characteristic habitats
of the East Suffolk coastal fringe:-
coastal
heathland,
beach
shingle,
and
wet grassland.
The site also has examples of woodland/scrub,
swamp, reedbed, and meadow.
Current management is the responsibility
of three organisations, Suffolk Coastal
District Council (SCDC), the RSPB, and the Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT).
Historically there were three separate
management plans, which addressed the
following elements of the site. The coastal heath of the 'Warren', and the adjacent
wet grassland of the 'Haven' (RSPB), two sections of the beach (SCDC and SWT),
and a strip of scrub and meadow between the beach and the grazing pasture
(SWT). These plans have now been integrated into one within a unified CMS
format.
The heathland and wet pasture are examples
of local livestock production systems
involving, respectively, the production of sheep and cattle. The operations are
grant-aided as part of national farming and wildlife schemes.
In terms of species, there are some important
national rarities, and a wealth of
nesting and migratory birds use the site.
Between 1 to 2% of some national populations
of wildfowl winter on the site. There
are also management issues regarding the recreational use of the land, and
realising its great potential for education and training.
All in all, there can be few local nature
reserves that provide such a range of
outstanding conservation features, and organisational insights into common issues
surrounding the management of local biodiversity.
