Dengie nature reserve

Dengie

Site of Special Scientific Interest
Tillingham Marshes
Area of Search	Essex
Grid reference	TM045030
Interest	Biological
Area	3105.0 hectares
Notification	1986
Location map	Magic Map

Dengie nature reserve is a 3,105 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest between the estuaries of the Blackwater and Crouch near Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex.. It is also a National Nature Reserve, a Special Protection Area, a Nature Conservation Review site, a Geological Conservation Review site and a Ramsar site. It is part of the Essex estuaries Special Area of Conservation. An area of 12 hectares is the Bradwell Shell Bank nature reserve, which is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.

It consists of large, remote area of tidal mud-flats and salt marshes at the eastern end of the Dengie peninsula . The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall overlooks some of the site.

It is a wetland of international importance and provides habitats for:

• Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica)
• Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus)
• Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
• knot (Calidris canutus)
• Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa islandica)
• Dunlin (Calidris alpina alpina)
• Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
• Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
• Dark-bellied brent goose (Branta bernicla bernicla)
• Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
• Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

Sunken barges used as a breakwater, in the northern part of the SPA

Sunken barges used as a breakwater, in the northern part of the SPA

View southward near the Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall

View southward near the Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall