Breydon Water
Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
![]() Breydon's western end at the River Yare confluence as viewed from Burgh Castle | |
Location | Norfolk |
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Grid reference | TG 493 072[1] |
Interest | Biological |
Area | 514.4 hectares (1,271 acres)[1] |
Notification | 1987[1] |
Location map | Magic Map |
Designations | |
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Ramsar Wetland | |
Official name | Breydon Water |
Designated | 29 March 1996 |
Reference no. | 821[2] |
Breydon Water is a 514.4-hectare (1,271-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.[1][3] It is a Local Nature Reserve,[4] a Ramsar site[5] and a Special Protection Area.[6] It is part of the Berney Marshes and Breydon Water nature reserve, which is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).[7]
It is a large stretch of sheltered estuary. It is at the gateway to The Broads river system on the eastern edge of Halvergate Marshes. It is the UK's largest protected wetland. It is 5 km (3 mi) long and more than 1.5 km (0.9 mi) wide in places.
Breydon Water is overlooked at the southern end by the remains of the Roman Saxon Shore fort at Burgh Castle. Centuries ago, Breydon Water would have been one large estuary facing the sea. At the western end the water may be considered to start at the confluence of the River Yare and River Waveney; smaller sources including The Fleet flow in from the surrounding marshland. Safe passage for boats is indicated by red and green marker posts. Unlike most of the navigable waterways in the Norfolk Broads, Breydon Water is not subject to a speed limit.
At the east end of Breydon Water the river returns to a narrow channel, passing under Breydon Bridge after which it is joined by the River Bure then under Haven Bridge from where it is 4.4 km (2.7 mi) through the harbour into the North Sea.
Features
At low tide there are vast areas of mudflats and saltings, all teeming with birds. Since the mid-80s, Breydon Water has been a nature reserve in the care of the RSPB. It has been a popular shooting area for centuries, and the shooting continues, but on a very much reduced scale.
In the winter, large numbers of wading birds and wildfowl use it to overwinter, including 12,000 golden plovers, 12,000 wigeons, 32,000 lapwings and tens of thousands of Bewick's swans. Other species that have been noted there include dunlin, sanderling, Eurasian whimbrel, several (escaped) flamingos, pied avocets and on one occasion a glossy ibis.
There is a bird observation hide at the east end of Breydon Water, on the north shore, looking out towards a breeding platform used mainly by common terns. Other breeding species include common shelducks, northern shovelers, Eurasian oystercatchers and yellow wagtails.
Naturalist Arthur Henry Patterson (1857–1935), who published under the pseudonym "John Knowlittle", extensively documented the wildlife of Breydon and the disappearing lifestyles of the boatmen, wildfowlers and fishermen who made a living from the estuary.[8]
Short sections of the Wherryman's Way and Weavers' Way long-distance paths follow the northern bank of the estuary from Yarmouth to Berney Arms, a distance of about 5 miles. Breydon Water is the site of events in Arthur Ransome's popular Swallows and Amazons series book, Coot Club.
References
- ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Breydon Water". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ^ "Breydon Water". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ "Map of Breydon Water". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Breydon Water". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Breydon Water". Ramsar Site. Natural England. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Breydon Water". Special Protection Area. Natural England. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
- ^ "Berney Marshes and Breydon Water". Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ^ Extracts from his numerous works are available in 'Scribblings of a Yarmouth Naturalist' by Beryl Tooley, his great-granddaughter (ISBN 0-9549048-0-X published 2004).
External links
- Norfolk Broads
- Breydon Water Literary Links
- RSPB Berney Marshes and Breydon Water
- Wherryman's Way long distance walk
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- t
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- Alderfen Broad
- Alderford Common
- Ant Broads and Marshes
- Aslacton Parish Land
- Badley Moor
- Barnham Cross Common
- Beeston Cliffs
- Beetley and Hoe Meadows
- Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fens
- Booton Common
- Boughton Fen
- Breckland Farmland
- Breckland Forest
- Breydon Water
- Bridgham and Brettenham Heaths
- The Brinks, Northwold
- Broad Fen, Dilham
- Bryant's Heath, Felmingham
- Bure Broads and Marshes
- Burgh Common and Muckfleet Marshes
- Buxton Heath
- Calthorpe Broad
- Cantley Marshes
- Castle Acre Common
- Cawston and Marsham Heaths
- Cockthorpe Common, Stiffkey
- Coston Fen, Runhall
- Cranberry Rough, Hockham
- Cranwich Camp
- Crostwick Marsh
- Damgate Marshes, Acle
- Decoy Carr, Acle
- Dereham Rush Meadow
- Dersingham Bog
- Didlington Park Lakes
- Dillington Carr
- Ducan's Marsh
- East Harling Common
- East Ruston Common
- East Walton and Adcock's Common
- East Winch Common
- East Wretham Heath
- Eaton Chalk Pit
- Edgefield Little Wood
- Elm Road Field, Thetford
- Felbrigg Woods
- Field Barn Heaths, Hilborough
- Flordon Common
- Forncett Meadows
- Foulden Common
- Foxley Wood
- Fritton Common, Morningthorpe
- Gawdyhall Big Wood, Harleston
- Geldeston Meadows
- Great Cressingham Fen
- Great Yarmouth North Denes
- Grime's Graves
- Gunton Park Lake
- Hall Farm Fen, Hemsby
- Halvergate Marshes
- Hardley Flood
- Hedenham Wood
- Hilgay Heronry
- Hockering Wood
- Holly Farm Meadow, Wendling
- Holt Lowes
- Honeypot Wood
- Hooks Well Meadows, Great Cressingham
- Horningtoft Wood
- Horse Wood, Mileham
- Hunstanton Cliffs
- Islington Heronry
- Kelling Heath
- Kenninghall and Banham Fens with Quidenham Mere
- Leziate, Sugar and Derby Fens
- Limpenhoe Meadows
- Lower Wood, Ashwellthorpe
- Ludham - Potter Heigham Marshes
- Mattishall Moor
- Middle Harling Fen
- Narborough Railway Embankment
- New Buckenham Common
- North Norfolk Coast
- Old Bodney Camp
- Old Buckenham Fen
- Ouse Washes
- Overstrand Cliffs
- Paston Great Barn
- Poplar Farm Meadows, Langley
- Potter and Scarning Fens, East Dereham
- Potter's Carr, Cranworth
- Priory Meadows, Hickling
- Pulham Market Big Wood
- Redgrave and Lopham Fens
- Ringstead Downs
- River Nar
- River Wensum
- Rosie Curston's Meadow, Mattishall
- Roydon Common
- Scoulton Mere
- Sea Mere, Hingham
- Sexton Wood
- Shallam Dyke Marshes, Thurne
- Shelfanger Meadows
- Sheringham and Beeston Regis Commons
- Shotesham Common
- Shotesham-Woodton Hornbeam Woods
- Sidestrand and Trimingham Cliffs
- Smallburgh Fen
- Snettisham Carstone Quarry
- Southrepps Common
- Stanford Training Area
- Stanley and Alder Carrs, Aldeby
- Stiffkey Valley
- Swangey Fen, Attleborough
- Swannington Upgate Common
- Swanton Novers Woods
- Sweetbriar Road Meadows, Norwich
- Syderstone Common
- Thetford Golf Course and Marsh
- Thompson Water, Carr and Common
- Tindall Wood, Ditchingham
- Trinity Broads
- Upper Thurne Broads and Marshes
- Upton Broad and Marshes
- Warham Camp
- The Wash
- Wayland Wood, Watton
- Weeting Heath
- Wells Chalk Pit
- Westwick Lakes
- Weybourne Cliffs
- Whitwell Common
- Winterton-Horsey Dunes
- Wiveton Downs
- Wretham Park Meres
- Yare Broads and Marshes
- Bawsey
- Beeston Cliffs
- Bilsey Hill
- Blackborough End Pit
- Bramerton Pits
- Breckland Forest
- Briton's Lane Gravel Pit
- Broome Heath Pit
- Caistor St Edmund Chalk Pit
- Catton Grove Chalk Pit
- Cranberry Rough, Hockham
- Dersingham Bog
- East Runton Cliffs
- East Walton and Adcock's Common
- Glandford (Hurdle Lane)
- Glandford (Letheringsett Road)
- Gooderstone Warren
- Grime's Graves
- Grimston Warren Pit
- Happisburgh Cliffs
- Heacham Brick Pit
- Holkham Brick Pit
- Hunstanton Cliffs
- Hunstanton Park Esker
- Leet Hill, Kirby Cane
- Morston Cliff
- Mundesley Cliffs
- North Norfolk Coast
- Overstrand Cliffs
- Setchey
- Sidestrand and Trimingham Cliffs
- St James' Pit
- Stanford Training Area
- Wells Chalk Pit
- West Runton Cliffs
- Weybourne Cliffs
- Weybourne Town Pit
- Wiggenhall St Germans
- Winterton-Horsey Dunes
- Wiveton Downs
- Wretton
52°36′18″N 01°40′57″E / 52.60500°N 1.68250°E / 52.60500; 1.68250