Wild Benhall

 

Last year saw completion of groundworks at “Wild Benhall”, Sizewell C’s fourth new nature reserve. 

 

 

Set behind high metal security gates off the A1094, this is Sizewell C’s first “off-site” nature reserve, the others being located at Sizewell.  The gates were installed to keep people safe during the groundworks that have now finished. Their aim was to re-establish the hydrological conditions needed to allow fen meadow and wet woodland to once-again flourish. Public access is not permitted currently, whilst the site is established, however there is a current public right of way footpath along the western end of the site.

 

Shallow soil scrapes have been created, and the excavated peat-rich soils were used to fertilise local farmland or taken back to Sizewell for re-use in landscaping.  Land drains that had been installed after WWII when the former water meadows were “reclaimed” for agriculture were also blocked off or removed to help prevent the soils drying out too much in the summer. 

 

“This is essentially a landscape restoration project” says Dr Mannings, Sizewell C’s DCO Delivery Lead.  “We’re turning the clock back, so that the rare fen meadow and wet woodland habitat that once thrived here can return”. 

 

The site is to be seeded this summer using “green hay” that will be carefully harvested from Sizewell Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in a manner that protects the donor site. This will be repeated over two subsequent years to get the new reserve off to the best possible start.  Sizewell C is confident it will be successful.  It will take some time for the new habitats to develop, however it is expected that “key indicator” species like the beautiful southern marsh and common spotted orchids will become widely established within the reserve over the next 5-10 years.

 

“Our other nature reserves have been very successful” says Dr Mannings. “Ten years on, our flagship Wild Aldhurst nature reserve near Leiston is already of SSSI quality and rare marsh harriers breed there on a regular basis.  “We’re therefore confident that our landscape plan is working and that Wild Benhall will be just as successful”.   

 

Now that the groundworks have finished, the security gates at the site entrance are to be replaced with something much smaller and sympathetic, and the haul road will be pared back and allowed to “naturalise”.  There’s a public footpath running along the western boundary of the site from the A1094 and another that crosses the middle of the new reserve that’s been raised slightly so its drier and more accessible during the winter.  There’s no public access to the reserve apart from this path, although guided walks will be provided by Sizewell C from time to time so local people can see the habitats develop at first hand. An information board is also to be provided.

 

Below: Marsh Orchid, Common Orchid, Good Quality Fern Meadow