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Dingle Marshes
Dingle Marshes
Type	Nature reserve
Location	Dunwich, Suffolk
OS grid	TM479708
Area	93 hectares (230 acres)
Managed by	Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Dingle Marshes is a 93-hectare (230-acre) wildlife reserve on the North Sea coast of the English county of Suffolk. The reserve is located between Dunwich and Walberswick, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south-west of Southwold. The marshes make up part of the Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve along with reserves at Walberswick and Hen Reedbeds.^[1]^[2] They are owned jointly by the RSPB and Suffolk Wildlife Trust and are managed by these two organisations and Natural England.^[2]^[3] The site is in the Dunwich Heaths and Marshes Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I,^[4] the Minsmere-Walberswick Ramsar internationally important wetland site,^[5] the Minsmere to Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Special Area of Conservation,^[6]^[7] and the Minsmere-Walberswick Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.^[8]^[9]

It is also within the Minsmere-Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest and is a Natura 2000 site.^[3] It is an internationally important site for the starlet sea anemone as well as a key site for bitterns and marsh harriers within the UK.^[1] It was purchased in 1999 at a cost of £1 million, aided by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund of £559,000.^[10]

Landscape

The marshes form part of the open coastal fen landscape type within Suffolk which is predominantly open with few trees.^[11] They were drained for use as cattle grazing at some point before 1587 but have reverted to fen land after mid-20th century reflooding.^[11]

Habitat

The marshes include a mixture of coastal and freshwater wetland habitats, including brackish pools.^[12] These provide breeding habitats for birds such as bitterns, marsh harriers and bearded tits as well as mammals such as European otters and water vole and over-wintering locations for species such as pied avocets, white-fronted geese, northern lapwings and redshanks.^[1]^[3]^[12] The site is an internationally important habitat of the starlet sea anemone, the rarest sea anemone in Britain.^[1]^[3] The reserve is bordered by heathland and forest on the landward side and includes a vegetated shingle bank on the seaward side. Little terns often nest along the bank.^[12]

Flooding

Coastal flooding has affected the marshes in recent years, including in 2003, 2006 and 2007.^[13]^[14] The shingle bank was breached in 2006 and 2007 leading to concerns that vulnerable freshwater habitats could be lost, including the breeding grounds of species such as bitterns.^[13]^[14]^[15] Emergency flood defence works were carried out by the Environment Agency following the 2006 breach,^[15] and these were extended in 2012 to provide additional flood defences for the reserve.^[16]

Facilities

The reserve is accessed from the south at Dunwich beach where a car park and other facilities are maintained by East Suffolk council. A circular walk is waymarked around the marshes. The RSPB maintains a hide overlooking the marsh.^[12]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Suffolk Coast NNR, Natural England. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
^ ^a ^b Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve Archived 14 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Direct enquiries. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Dingle Marshes, Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
^ Ratcliffe, Derek, ed. (1977). A Nature Conservation Review. Vol. 2. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 210–211. ISBN 0521 21403 3.
^ "Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS): Minsmere–Walberswick" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
^ "Minsmere to Walberswick Heaths and Marshes". Special Areas of Conservation. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
^ "Designated Sites View: Minsmere to Walberswick Heaths & Marshes". Special Area of Conservation. Natural England. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
^ "Special Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive. Minsmere-Walberswick" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
^ "Designated Sites View: Minsmere-Walberswick". Special Protection Area. Natural England. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
^ Lottery helps rare species, BBC news website, 10 February 1999. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
^ ^a ^b Open coastal fens Archived 2 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Suffolk county council. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d About Dingle Marshes, RSPB. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
^ ^a ^b Sea breaches RSPB reserves in Suffolk Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Bird Guide, 2 November 2006. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
^ ^a ^b Surge hits wildlife havens, BBC news website, 9 November 2007. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
^ ^a ^b Fears for Dingle marshes Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Eastern Daily Press, 3 January 2007. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
^ Flood protection work at Minsmere and Dingle Marshes, BBC news website, 15 October 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-30.