Colne Estuary
Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Location | Essex |
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Grid reference | TM075155 |
Interest | Biological Geological |
Area | 2915.2 hectares |
Notification | 1989 |
Location map | Magic Map |
Designations | |
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Ramsar Wetland | |
Official name | Colne Estuary |
Designated | 28 July 1994 |
Reference no. | 665[1] |
Colne Estuary is a 2915 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Brightlingsea in Essex. It is also a Nature Conservation Review site, a National Nature Reserve,[2][3] a Ramsar wetland site of international importance,[4] a Special Protection Area,[5] a Special Area of Conservation,[6] and a Geological Conservation Review site.[7] Three areas in the site are managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, Colne Point, Fingringhoe Wick and Howlands Marsh.[2]
The site has varied habitats, such as saltmarsh, mud flats, shingle spits and former gravel pits. It is of international importance for wintering brent geese and black-tailed godwits, and of national importance for six other bird species, including little terns. It also has important assemblages of invertebrates and plants, such as golden samphire and shrubby seablite. A peat seam in St Osyph Marsh has been dated to 4280 BP, and this marsh is important for saltmarsh morphology.[2]
There are important geological exposures for Pleistocene studies at East Mersea; investigation is at an early stage, but they show warm climate deposits from one or more post-Anglian interglacials.[2]
References
- ^ "Colne Estuary". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Colne Estuary citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ "Map of Colne Estuary". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ "Colne Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 2)" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ "Special Protection Area under the EC Birds Directive: Colne Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 2)" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- ^ "Essex Estuaries". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ^ "OTHER DESIGNATED SITES IN THE SEA 3 AREA" (PDF). Department of Trade and Industry. 2002. p. 27. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
External links
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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
51°48′36″N 0°58′44″E / 51.810°N 0.979°E / 51.810; 0.979