RSPB Loughlin Marsh nature reservation opens in Norfolk

The Halvergate Marshes is an area of grazing marsh, criss-crossed by a network of dykes and drainage ditches, between the River Yare and the River Bure.

The area near Great Yarmouth is a vital migration point for birds during the autumn and is also home to internationally significant species including the Bewick's Swan.

Over the past two years, excavators have been working the land there, forming new dykes and digging shallow ponds to create a new wetland habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Loughlin Marsh is a new RSPB reservation in the Halvergate Marshes in Norfolk. (Image: Water Management Alliance)

The reservation, called Loughlin's Marsh, was officially opened on Tuesday, September 17.

And already it has seen an increase in the number of birds such as redshanks, lapwings and common terns.

Michael Copleston, the England director of the RSPB, said the area was "stunning" and "hugely significant".

"If you build it, they will come. More than 10,000 ducks and geese are already using this area," he said.

"Going back 30 years there were no breeding waders here, now there are 300 pairs."

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The creation of Loughlin's Marsh in Norfolk has seen an increase in the number of birds including the lapwing. (Image: Graham Goodall RSPB)

Tim Strudwick, senior sites manager, Mid Yare, Sutton Fen, Berney Marshes and Breydon Water Reserves, RSPB, said: "The creation of RSPB Loughlin's Marsh will play a vital role in improving the resilience of this unique wetland landscape against the impacts of climate change."

The management and maintenance of Loughlin’s Marsh will be overseen by the Broads Drainage Board and the RSPB, who also manage the adjacent Berney Marshes and Breydon Water Reserve, which Loughlin’s Marsh will now be a part of.

The project, which began in July 2023, was a collaboration between National Highways, the RSPB and the Broads Internal Drainage Board.

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It is hoped the new Loughlin's Marsh nature reserve will help the Halvergate Marshes adapt to climate change. (Image: Sonya Duncan)

Vulnerable to climate change

Loughlin's Marsh was acquired by the RSPB in 2016 and named in memory of Ralph Loughlin.

Mr Loughlin had worked on RSPB Berney Marshes for more 20 years and had a life-long connection with the land and its birds. 

The freshwater which now flows in the new reservation is sourced from the tidal River Bure through a controlled inlet at the Stracey Arms drainage mill.  

The water flows for 3km along a high-level carrier, or a network of artificially raised watercourses which transfer and hold freshwater around the Halvergate Marshes. 

The water is also used as a reliable supply of drinking water for grazing animals. 

The official opening of the RSPB's Loughlin's Marsh reserve in Norfolk on September 17. (Image: Sonya Duncan)

The high-level carrier means the Broads IDB can provide a reliable supply of freshwater to the area. Without it, the Halvergate Marshes would likely degrade, as they are extremely flat and low lying with much of the area at or below sea level, meaning it is particularly vulnerable to climate change.  

The area is sparsely populated and home to Berney Arms railway station, one of the most isolated railway stations in England.   

Loughlin's Marsh will form part of the Berney Marshes & Breydon Water RSPB reserve. (Image: Sonya Duncan)

The marshes themselves are nationally and internationally important wetland habitats for many species.   

At the same time, the area is important to the local economy as it has good quality arable and grazing farmland.