Benfleet and Southend Marshes
Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
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Location | Essex |
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Grid reference | TQ854847 |
Interest | Biological |
Area | 2099.7 hectares |
Notification | 1987 |
Location map | Magic Map |
Designations | |
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Ramsar Wetland | |
Official name | Benfleet & Southend Marshes |
Designated | 14 February 1994 |
Reference no. | 648[1] |
Benfleet and Southend Marshes is an 8.1-square-mile (21 km2) Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Essex. It consists of mudflats, salt marshes, scrub and wild grassland, and includes the Southend-on-Sea foreshore. It has been so recognised for its biological (including ecological) value, rather than geological.[2][3] A definition five percent larger forms the Benfleet and Southend Marshes Ramsar site[4] and Special Protection Area.[5][6] In the centre-west, more than ten percent of the Site is the Leigh National Nature Reserve (NNR),[n 1][7][5] which has been appraised in detail in A Nature Conservation Review as a site of national importance.[2] The SSSI and NNR include the eastern half of Two Tree Island, in Leigh on Sea which is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.[7][8] A narrow majority of the Site is the Southend on Sea Foreshore Local Nature Reserve.[n 2][9][10]
The marshes and mudflats have internationally important numbers of wildfowl and wading birds, including the dark-bellied brent goose, grey plover, redshank and red knot. Scarce invertebrates, such as the white-letter hairstreak and marbled white butterfly, have adapted to specific habitats in the marshes.[2]
Notes and References
Notes
References
- ^ "Benfleet & Southend Marshes". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ a b c "Benfleet and Southend Marshes citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Map of Benfleet and Southend Marshes". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands: Benfleet and Southend Marshes" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ a b "Magic map". Natural England. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Benfleet and Southend Marshes" (PDF). Special Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
- ^ a b "Essex's National Nature Reserves". Natural England.
- ^ "Two Tree Island". Essex Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Southend on Sea Foreshore". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 27 February 2013. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Map of Southend on Sea Foreshore". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- v
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- Abberton Reservoir
- Ashdon Meadows
- Basildon Meadows
- Belcher's and Broadfield Woods
- Benfleet and Southend Marshes
- Blackwater Estuary
- Blake's Wood & Lingwood Common
- Bovingdon Hall Woods
- Bullock Wood
- Canvey Wick
- Cattawade Marshes
- Chalkney Wood
- Colne Estuary
- The Coppice, Kelvedon Hatch
- Cornmill Stream and Old River Lea
- Crouch and Roach Estuaries
- Curtismill Green
- Danbury Common
- Debden Water
- Dengie
- Elsenham Woods
- Epping Forest
- Foulness
- Garnetts Wood and Barnston Lays
- Garrold's Meadow
- Glemsford Pits
- Grays Thurrock Chalk Pit
- Great Wood and Dodd's Grove
- Hainault Forest
- Hales and Shadwell Woods
- Hamford Water
- Hangman's Wood and Deneholes
- Hanningfield Reservoir
- Harlow Woods
- Hatfield Forest
- High Wood, Dunmow
- Hockley Woods
- Holehaven Creek
- Holland Haven Marshes
- Hunsdon Mead
- Inner Thames Marshes
- Little Hallingbury Marsh
- Mill Meadows
- Mucking Flats and Marshes
- Norsey Wood
- Nunn Wood
- Pitsea Marsh
- Quendon Wood
- Riddles Wood
- Roding Valley Meadows
- Roman River
- Sandbeach Meadows
- Stour and Copperas Woods, Ramsey
- Stour Estuary
- Thorndon Park
- Thrift Wood, Woodham Ferrers
- Thundersley Great Common
- Tiptree Heath
- Turnford and Cheshunt Pits
- Upper Colne Marshes
- Vange and Fobbing Marshes
- Waltham Abbey
- Weeleyhall Wood
- West Thurrock Lagoon and Marshes
- West Wood, Little Sampford
- Woodham Walter Common
- Ardleigh Gravel Pit
- Clacton Cliffs and Foreshore
- The Cliff, Burnham-on-Crouch
- Colne Estuary
- Dengie
- Globe Pit
- Goldsands Road Pit
- Hall's Quarry
- Harwich Foreshore
- Holland-on-Sea Cliff
- Lion Pit
- Little Oakley Channel Deposit
- Lofts Farm Pit
- Maldon Cutting
- Marks Tey Brickpit
- The Naze
- Newney Green Pit
- Purfleet Chalk Pits
- Purfleet Road, Aveley
- River Ter
- St Osyth Pit
- Stour Estuary
- Wivenhoe Gravel Pit