The Blackwater Estuary National Nature Reserve is located on the estuary of the River Blackwater between Maldon and West Mersea in Essex. It is a 5,538 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and Special Protection Area.
Over 1000 hectares of the area is a National Nature Reserve while Tollesbury Wick and part of Abbotts Hall Farm, both managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, are in the SSSI area.
Oysters have been harvested from the area for over a thousand years and the remains of fish weirs from the Anglo-Saxon era can still be found today. At the heart of the estuary is the town of Maldon, with other settlements including West Mersea and Mersea Island to the North.
One notable landmark on the estuary is Northey Island, which was the location for some of the first experiments in the UK in 'managed retreat'. This is a process whereby a saltmarsh is created by setting sea walls back from what are perceived to be unsustainable positions. The area is noted as a breeding ground Little Tern and as a transit point for Ringed Plover.
Other notable species that frequent the area include Pied Avocet, Black-Tailed Godwit, Dark-Bellied Brent Geese, Dunlin, Eurasian Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Hen harrier, Common Redshank, Ringed Plover, Ruff and Common Shelduck.
Contact Details
Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 060 3900
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