List of local nature reserves in Norfolk

Norfolk is a county in East Anglia. It has an area of 2,074 square miles (5,370 square kilometres)^[1] and a population as of mid-2017 of 898,400.^[2] The top level of local government is Norfolk County Council with seven second tier councils: Breckland District Council, Broadland District Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council, North Norfolk District Council, Norwich City Council and South Norfolk District Council.^[3] The county is bounded by Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and the North Sea.^[1]

Breydon Water is a wide tidal estuary which is of national importance for wintering wildfowl

Local nature reserves (LNRs) are designated by local authorities under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The local authority must have a legal control over the site, by owning or leasing it or having an agreement with the owner. Local nature reserves are sites which have a special local interest either biologically or geologically. Local authorities have a duty to care for them, and can apply local bye-laws to manage and protect them.^[4][5]

As of October 2018, there are 27 LNRs in Norfolk,^[6] seven of which are Sites of Special Scientific Interest, three are Special Areas of Conservation, three are Special Protection Areas, one is a Ramsar site, one is a Geological Conservation Review site, one is a Nature Conservation Review site, one is a Scheduled Monument, two are managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and one by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

Key

Other classifications

GCR = Geological Conservation Review NCR = Nature Conservation Review site NWT = Norfolk Wildlife Trust Ramsar = Ramsar site, an internationally important wetland site SAC = Special Area of Conservation

SM = Scheduled monument SPA = Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds SSSI = Site of Special Scientific Interest SWT = Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Sites

Site	Photograph	Area[a]	Location[b]	Borough	Other classifications	Map[c]	Details[d]	Description
Barnham Cross Common		69.2 hectares (171 acres)	Thetford 52.398°N 0.740°E / 52.398; 0.740 (Barnham Cross Common) TL 865 813	Breckland	SAC,[7] SPA,[8] SSSI[9]	Map	Details	This grassland and heath common has diverse habitats and a rich flora, including several nationally rare plants. There are nearly 100 species of birds, including 60 which breed on the site, and a wide range of invertebrates.[10]
Bath Hills		12.2 hectares (30 acres)	Bungay 52.469°N 1.422°E / 52.469; 1.422 (Bath Hills) TM 325 912	South Norfolk		Map	Details	This is the sheltered south side of a steep valley, and spring flowers bloom very early as a result.[11]
Bowthorpe Marsh		5.9 hectares (15 acres)	Norwich 52.630°N 1.221°E / 52.630; 1.221 (Bowthorpe Marsh) TG 181 085	Norwich		Map	Details	This site adjacent to the River Yare has unimproved grassland, tall fen, a seasonal pond and drainage ditches, which have aquatic plants such as reed sweet-grass.[12]
Breydon Water		449.1 hectares (1,110 acres)	Great Yarmouth 52.607°N 1.684°E / 52.607; 1.684 (Breydon Water) TG 495 074	Great Yarmouth	Ramsar,[13] SPA,[14] SSSI[15][16]	Map	Details	This inland tidal estuary has large areas of mud at low tide, and it provides an ample food supply for migrating and wintering wildfowl and waders. There are nationally important numbers of several species of wintering wildfowl, including rare species.[17]
Broome Heath		31.7 hectares (78 acres)	Bungay 52.470°N 1.453°E / 52.470; 1.453 (Broome Heath) TM 346 914	South Norfolk	SM,[18] SSSI[19]	Map	Details	This site in the valley of the River Waveney has marshy grazing land and lakes. At the southern end there is a Neolithic settlement,[20] and in the middle there are long and round barrows.[18]
Brundall Church Fen		2.8 hectares (6.9 acres)	Norwich 52.621°N 1.426°E / 52.621; 1.426 (Brundall Church Fen) TG 320 081	Broadland		Map	Details	Fauna in this former gazing marsh include water voles, foxes, Chinese water deer and occasionally otters.[21]
Danby Wood		3.9 hectares (9.6 acres)	Norwich 52.603°N 1.275°E / 52.603; 1.275 (Danby Wood) TG 219 056	Norwich		Map	Details	This semi-natural wood on a former chalk mine has many hills, hollows and banks. Broadleaved trees include oaks, limes, sycamores and two walnuts.[22]
Dunston Common		3.8 hectares (9.4 acres)	Norwich 52.574°N 1.284°E / 52.574; 1.284 (Dunston Common) TG 226 025	South Norfolk		Map	Details	Most of this site is grassland with flora including lady's bedstraw, harebell and sheep's sorrel. There is also an area of semi-mature woodland at the western end.[23]
Earlham Park Woods		8.1 hectares (20 acres)	Norwich 52.623°N 1.231°E / 52.623; 1.231 (Earlham Park Woods) TG 188 077	Norwich		Map	Details	This is an area of woodland fringing Earlham Park, and trees include regenerating elms. Other habitats include tall marsh, unimproved grassland and a pond which has silted up.[24]
Eaton Common		5.3 hectares (13 acres)	Norwich 52.598°N 1.259°E / 52.598; 1.259 (Eaton Common) TG 208 050	Norwich		Map	Details	This site on the bank of the River Yare is mainly grassland, some of which is marshy. There are also small areas of broadleaved woodland and tall herbs.[25]
Felmingham Cutting		1.0 hectare (2.5 acres)	Norwich 52.808°N 1.334°E / 52.808; 1.334 (Felmingham Cutting) TG 248 286	North Norfolk		Map	Details	Sixteen species of butterfly breed on this railway cutting, which is on a former line of the Midland and Great Northern Railway, and is now part of the Weavers' Way long-distance footpath.[26]
Great Eastern Pingo Trail		4.2 hectares (10 acres)	Thetford 52.504°N 0.841°E / 52.504; 0.841 (Great Eastern Pingo Trail) TL 929 934	Breckland	NCR,[27] NWT,[28] SAC,[29] SPA,[30] SSSI[31][32][33]	Map	Details	This site has around 300 pingos, shallow pools formed when ice melted at the end of the last ice age. There is a mosaic of habitats with a large lake, Thompson Water, at the western end.[34][35]
Hindringham Meadows		6.7 hectares (17 acres)	Fakenham 52.900°N 0.920°E / 52.900; 0.920 (Hindringham Meadows) TF 965 376	North Norfolk		Map	Details	No information is available about this site.
Knapton Cutting		0.9 hectares (2.2 acres)	North Walsham 52.845°N 1.412°E / 52.845; 1.412 (Knapton Cutting) TG 299 329	North Norfolk		Map	Details	Knapton Cutting is a footpath from Knapton to North Walsham along the former North Walsham to Mundesley railway line. A short stretch at the northern end is the LNR, called Knapton Cutting Butterfly Reserve. It has a variety of flowering plants, including small-flowered catchfly, which is classified as endangered in Britain.[36]
Lion Wood		8.9 hectares (22 acres)	Norwich 52.629°N 1.320°E / 52.629; 1.320 (Lion Wood) TG 248 087	Norwich		Map	Details	Around a third of this wood is believed to be ancient. The dominant trees are oak and sycamore, and there is a variety of woodland birds such as blackcaps and green and greater spotted woodpeckers.[37]
Litcham Common		24.9 hectares (62 acres)	King's Lynn 52.718°N 0.789°E / 52.718; 0.789 (Litcham Common) TF 885 170	Breckland		Map	Details	This heathland site has areas of acid grassland, wet and dry heath, scrub and mature oak and birch woodland.[38]
Marston Marshes		25.9 hectares (64 acres)	Norwich 52.602°N 1.268°E / 52.602; 1.268 (Marston Marshes) TG 214 055	Norwich		Map	Details	This site in the flood plain of the River Yare has marshes, fen, dykes, scrub, wet woodland, dry grassland and five ponds. Flora include ragged robin and southern marsh orchid and there many invertebrates including the rare Desmoulin's whorl snail.[39]
Mousehold Heath		74.0 hectares (183 acres)	Norwich 52.643°N 1.314°E / 52.643; 1.314 (Mousehold Heath) TG 243 102	Norwich	GCR,[40] SSSI[41]	Map	Details	This fragment of a formerly extensive heath has habitats including woodland, a pond, scrub and acid grassland. There are woodland birds such as song thrushes and great spotted woodpeckers.[42]
Pigney's Wood		20.9 hectares (52 acres)	North Walsham 52.837°N 1.404°E / 52.837; 1.404 (Pigney's Wood) TG 294 320	North Norfolk	NWT[43]	Map	Details	This wood has 40 different species of trees, most of which have been planted since 1993, but there is a 450 year old oak. There is also a range of birds, butterflies and dragonflies. Mammals include otters, water voles and badgers.[43]
Roydon Fen		17.2 hectares (43 acres)	Diss 52.375°N 1.085°E / 52.375; 1.085 (Roydon Fen) TM 101 797	South Norfolk	SWT[44]	Map	Details	This site was taken over by wet woodland in the twentieth century, but the SWT has restored the eastern end to fen by mowing, and it has many typical fen plants such as marsh helleborine, marsh fragrant orchid and sawsedge.[44]
Smockmill Common		10.0 hectares (25 acres)	Norwich 52.536°N 1.269°E / 52.536; 1.269 (Smockmill Common) TM 218 981	South Norfolk		Map	Details	This site next to the River Tas has fen on the river bank and woodland and grassland in other areas. The flora is very diverse.[45]
South Walsham Fen		1.4 hectares (3.5 acres)	Norwich 52.661°N 1.474°E / 52.661; 1.474 (South Walsham Fen) TG 350 127	Broadland		Map	Details	This nature reserve has semi-improved grassland and species-rich hedges which mark an ancient track. There are also areas of bracken[46] and old woodland.[47]
Southrepps Common		12.9 hectares (32 acres)	Norwich 52.865°N 1.358°E / 52.865; 1.358 (Southrepps Common) TG 261 350	North Norfolk	SAC[48] SSSI[49]	Map	Details	This is damp grassland and fen in the valley of the River Ant. There are several rare true flies characteristic of undisturbed wetlands, especially Pteromicra glabricula and Colobaea distincta, both of which have larvae which are parasitic on snails.[50]
Toll's Meadow, Wymondham		1.7 hectares (4.2 acres)	Wymondham 52.567°N 1.113°E / 52.567; 1.113 (Toll's Meadow, Wymondham) TG 111 011	South Norfolk		Map	Details	The River Tiffey runs through this site, which has wet meadow and woodland. There is a variety of small birds and mammals include muntjac and roe deer, bank voles and common shrews.[51]
Wensum Valley		8.2 hectares (20 acres)	Norwich 52.640°N 1.265°E / 52.640; 1.265 (Wensum Valley) TG 210 097	Norwich		Map	Details	This site is in two adjacent areas. Mile Cross Marsh has damp grassland and fen and Sycamore Crescent is a narrow stretch of mature oak and beech woodland with an understorey of elm and sycamore.[52]
Whitlingham Marsh		15.5 hectares (38 acres)	Norwich 52.622°N 1.361°E / 52.622; 1.361 (Whitlingham Marsh) TG 276 080	South Norfolk		Map	Details	Most of this site on the southern bank of the River Yare is reed beds, which have many dragonflies. Chinese water deer sometimes browse in the marsh.[53]
Wiveton Down		6.5 hectares (16 acres)	Holt 52.937°N 1.024°E / 52.937; 1.024 (Wiveton Down) TG 033 420	North Norfolk	SSSI[54]	Map	Details	This is a classic example of an esker, a glacial crevasse which has been filled in until it forms a narrow winding ridge. It has been very important for teaching, research and demonstration.[55]

See also

• List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Norfolk
• Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Notes

1. The area is taken from the Natural England map of each site. (Click on the identify icon (i) in the "Feature Tools" and then click on the site.)
2. The location is taken from the Natural England details page for the site.
3. The maps are on the Natural England database of local nature reserves.
4. Details are on the pages on each site in the Natural England database of local nature reserves.^[6]