Cley and Salthouse Living Coast
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Supported by Aggregate Industries
and The Rothschild Foundation
and The Rothschild Foundation
Cley and Salthouse
This stunning coastal landscape is internationally important for its breeding and migratory birds. Cley Marshes, purchased in 1926, was the first ever Wildlife Trust nature reserve. Today NWT continues to protect its habitats and wildlife, carefully managing its reed beds, grazing marshes, freshwater pools, dykes and coastal habitats.
The open coastal landscape with its huge skies is much loved by visitors, a ‘mecca’ for birders hoping to find a rarity and an inspiration to many artists and writers. In 2013 NWT successfully acquired new land linking Cley and Salthouse Marshes to achieve a truly landscape scale protected area managed to benefit both visitors and wildlife.
The Wildlife Trusts
Intrinsic Value
The presence of rare habitats including vegetated coastal shingle, saline lagoons, reedbeds, grazing marsh and heathland are part of the special value of this landscape. The international value of many of these habitats is recognised through designations including Ramsar site, SPA and SAC.
This living landscape is well known for its internationally important numbers of breeding and wintering birds. Breeding birds include avocet, marsh harrier and bearded tit. In winter pink-footed geese, brent geese and wigeon are present in large numbers.
The Wildlife Trusts
Emotional Value
The coastal landscape’s quality of wildness is highly valued by large numbers of people.
Many people talk of their love of Cley Marshes and its personal significance to them.
People respond with deep feelings to ‘a wild and natural’ landscape and the area attracts many artists, poets, writers and photographers because of these special characteristics of light, colour and atmosphere which provide creative inspiration.
The Wildlife Trusts
Financial Value
Tourism is now the area’s major employer and the wildlife and landscape quality are the major attraction along with heritage that brings people to the area supporting local employment and the local economy. NWT’s popular Cley Marshes visitor centre and the many visitors attracted to the nature reserve help support the local economy in many ways: from increased spending in local shops and businesses to being a vital source of income for local hotels, pubs and restaurants.
The Wildlife Trusts
Societal Value
Making wildlife part of your life is good for you! Simple getting outdoors, walking and actively enjoying the fresh air and beauty of the coast bring many health and well-being benefits. The coastal marshes also help protect the villages of Cley and Salthouse from flooding, reducing, though not removing, risks of flooding during storm surges.
The Wildlife Trusts
Get Involved
For details of volunteering on our nature reserves in the Living Landscape please contact:
NWT volunteer officer on:
01603 625540
For details of WildWalks and how to send in your wildlife records in the Living Landscape visit our website:
www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/a-living-landscape
For details of events and activities to take part in and visiting details for our reserves visit:
www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
