Oare Marshes | |
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Type | Local Nature Reserve |
Location | Faversham, Kent |
OS grid | TR 011 645 |
Area | 71.4 hectares (176 acres) |
Managed by | Kent Wildlife Trust |
Oare Marshes is a 71.4-hectare (176-acre) Local Nature Reserve north of Faversham in Kent. It is owned and managed by Kent Wildlife Trust. [1] [2] [3] It is part of The Swale Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, [4] National Nature Reserve, [5] Ramsar internationally important wetland site, [6] Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds, [7] and Site of Special Scientific Interest. [8]
Car parking is provided opposite the Watch House, near the sea wall at the end of the Harty Ferry Road. Access is restricted to the public footpath and nature trail to minimise disturbance to roosting, feeding and breeding birds. The whole reserve may be observed from the nature trail and viewing hides. For those who need to use a car or wheelchair, there is a disabled only car park 300m from the hide overlooking the east flood. This hide is wheelchair accessible, and reached along firm level paths. There is also good viewing from the road itself, especially over the east flood. A nature trail leaflet is available on request.
The reserve consists of over 81 hectares of grazing marsh with freshwater dykes, open water 'scrapes', seawall and saltmarsh on the mainland opposite the Isle of Sheppey. The land, which is known for its tranquil remoteness from nearby Faversham, was used from 1787 until 1916 for the manufacture of gunpowder and the remains of its jetty are still visible. The Harty Ferry to Sheppey previously operated from near the wild-life lookout point on the reserve. The muddy Oare Creek forms the eastern edge of the reserve and lead inland to the village of Oare. The Oare and Faversham Creeks are open for navigation at high tide. There is a history of boat building and repair of historic boats and Thames Sailing Barges in the creeks. Close to Oare village is the Oare Meadow, also operated, like the Oare Marshes reserve by the Kent Wildlife Trust.
The reserve is of international importance for migratory, over wintering and breeding wetland birds. Suitable habitat is achieved through manipulation of water levels and livestock grazing. The reserve supports an exciting and diverse range of birds. Amongst the breeding species found here are pied avocet, common redshank, common snipe, northern lapwing, water rail, bearded reedling, common tern and garganey. Migrating species include black-tailed godwit, ruff, little stint, curlew sandpiper and whimbrel. Overwintering species include brent goose, dunlin, Eurasian curlew, Eurasian wigeon, merlin, hen harrier, short-eared owl, Eurasian bittern and twite.
Hickling Broad is a 600-hectare (1,500-acre) nature reserve 4 km south-east of Stalham, north-east of Norwich in Norfolk. It is managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. It is a National Nature Reserve and part of the Upper Thurne Broads and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest and Hickling Broad and Horsey Mere Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. It is in the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and part of the Broadland Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, and The Broads Special Area of Conservation.
Breydon Water is a 514.4-hectare (1,271-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. It is a Local Nature Reserve, a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area. It is part of the Berney Marshes and Breydon Water nature reserve, which is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Martham Broad is a 60-hectare (150-acre) national nature reserve north of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. It is managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, and is part of the Upper Thurne Broads and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is also part of the Broadland Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, and The Broads Special Area of Conservation.
Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT) is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom that was founded in 1958, previously known as the Kent Trust for Nature Conservation. It aims to "work with people to restore, save and improve our natural spaces" and to "ensure that 30% of Kent and Medway – land and sea – is managed to create a healthy place for wildlife to flourish". In 2016 it had thirty-one thousand members and an annual income of £4 million. KWT manages over sixty-five nature reserves, of which twenty-four are Sites of Special Scientific Interest, two are national nature reserves, nine are Nature Conservation Review sites, seven are Special Areas of Conservation, three are Special Protection Areas, seven are local nature reserves, one is a Geological Conservation Review site, thirteen are in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and one is a scheduled monument.
The Swale is a tidal channel of the Thames estuary that separates the Isle of Sheppey from the rest of Kent. On its banks is a 6,509.4-hectare (16,085-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches from Sittingbourne to Whitstable in Kent. It is also a Ramsar internationally important wetland site and a Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Parts of it are a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, National Nature Reserves, a Kent Wildlife Trust nature reserve and a Local Nature Reserve.
Insh Marshes are an area of floodplain of the River Spey between Kingussie and Kincraig in Badenoch and Strathspey, Highland, Scotland. The marshes are said to be one of the most important wetlands in Europe. They lie at altitude of approximately 240 to 220 m above sea level, and form one of the largest areas of floodplain mire and fen vegetation in Scotland.
The Saxon Shore Way is a long-distance footpath in England. It starts at Gravesend, Kent, and traces the coast of South-East England as it was in Roman times as far as Hastings, East Sussex, 163 miles (262 km) in total. This means that around Romney Marsh the route runs significantly inland from the modern coastline.
South Swale is a 410.5-hectare (1,014-acre) Local Nature Reserve north of Faversham in Kent. It is owned by Kent County Council and managed by Kent Wildlife Trust. It is part of The Swale Ramsar site, Special Protection Area and Site of Special Scientific Interest
Oare is a village and civil parish north of Davington, Faversham in southeast England. It is separated from Faversham by the Oare Creek. To the north of the village are the Oare Marshes, and the Harty Ferry which once linked to Harty on the Isle of Sheppey. Kent Wildlife Trust manages a nature reserve that is an important stopping place for migratory birds.
Barnby Broad and Marshes is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. The site is 189.6 hectares in size. It is in the parishes of North Cove and Barnby, located between Beccles and Lowestoft in the north of the county. The site is bordered on its southern edge by the East Suffolk railway line and to the north by the River Waveney. It is a Special Area of Conservation, a Special Protection Area under the EC Birds Directive, and a Ramsar internationally important wetland site. There are two Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserves in the site, Castle Marshes and North Cove.
Holme Dunes is a 192-hectare (470-acre) nature reserve near Holme-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. It is managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, and is a National Nature Reserve. It is part of the North Norfolk Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest, Geological Conservation Review site, Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, Ramsar site, Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Area. It is also in the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Sprat's Water and Marshes, Carlton Colville is a 57.1 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the western outskirts of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England. It is part of the Broadland Ramsar internationally important wetland site, and Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds, and part of The Broads Special Area of Conservation. The northern part of the site is Carlton Marshes, which is part of Carlton and Oulton Marshes, a nature reserve managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.
Sandwich Bay to Hacklinge Marshes is a 1,790.1-hectare (4,423-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches between Deal and Sandwich in Kent. It includes two Geological Conservation Review sites, and most of it is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. Part of it is a Ramsar site, a Special Area of Conservation, a Special Protection Area and a National Nature Reserve, It also includes a Kent Wildlife Trust nature reserve and a Local Nature Reserve,
Sandwich and Pegwell Bay is a 615-hectare (1,520-acre) nature reserve in Kent, managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust. It is a National Nature Reserve, and it includes a Geological Conservation Review site, Prince's Beachlands Local Nature Reserve and two Special Areas of Conservation, Sandwich Bay and Thanet Coast. It is part of Sandwich Bay and Thanet Coast Ramsar site and Special Protection Area. It is also of Sandwich Bay to Hacklinge Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest and Sandwich/Pegwell Bay Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I.
Bure Broads and Marshes is a 741.1-hectare (1,831-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-east of Norwich in Norfolk. Most of it is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I and National Nature Reserve. Two areas are nature reserves managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Cockshoot Broad and Ranworth Broad. It is part of the Broadland Ramsar site and Special Protection Area and The Broads Special Area of Conservation,
Oare Meadow is a 2-hectare (4.9-acre) nature reserve in Oare, north of Faversham in Kent. It is managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust. It is part of The Swale Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Hurst Castle and Lymington River Estuary is a 1,077.3-hectare (2,662-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Lymington in Hampshire. It is a Nature Conservation Review site and two areas are Geological Conservation Review sites. Three areas are local nature reserves, Boldre Foreshore, Sturt Pond and Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes; the latter site is managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Part of it is North Solent National Nature Reserve. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area. Parts of it are in Solent Maritime and Solent and Isle of Wight Lagoons Special Areas of Conservation.
Titchfield Haven is a 134.5-hectare (332-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Gosport in Hampshire. Most of it is a local nature reserve and a national nature reserve. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area.