Wildlife reserves · London
Ouse Washes
Ouse Washes — nature reserve in the United Kingdom.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–4 h
- Best time of year
- Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
- Nearest railway station
- Manea · 7.4 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Ouse Washes is a nature reserve in Norfolk, London. Officially recognised as Ramsar site. Operated by Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. The site is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, and is a Ramsar wetland of international importance. It sits within the South West Norfolk parliamentary constituency. The nearest railway station is Manea, about 7.4 km away. Postcode area CB6.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Ouse Washes SSSI
- Ramsar wetland: Ouse Washes
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Ouse Washes is a linear 2,513.6-hectare (6,211-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest stretching from near St Ives in Cambridgeshire to Downham Market in Norfolk, England. It is also a Ramsar internationally important wetland site, a Special Protection Area for birds, a Special Area of Conservation and a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. An area of 186 hectares (460 acres) between March and Ely is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire and another area near Chatteris is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust manages another area near Welney. The site lies between the Old Bedford River in the north-west and the New Bedford River in the south-east. The Washes are a flood storage area and are often under water in the winter. It is internationally significant for wintering and breeding wildfowl and waders, especially teal, pintail, Eurasian wigeon, shoveler, pochard and Bewick's swans. The site also has rich aquatic fauna and flora, and areas of unimproved grassland.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
After the last glaciation between 100,000 and 10,000 years ago the sea level in eastern England was about 30 m lower than at present. As the ice retreated during the Mesolithic, the sea level rose, filling what is now the North Sea, and bringing the Norfolk coastline much closer to its present line. Coastal woodland was drowned by the returning sea and slowly degraded to peat overlying deposits of marine clays and creating the Fens. Prior to the seventeenth century the Fens of eastern England were tidal marshland. frequently flooded and suitable for little more than summer grazing. In 1630, King Charles I granted a drainage charter to the 4th Earl of Bedford and his Adventurers, who…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 52.5288, 0.2739
- County
- Norfolk
- District
- King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- Parish
- Welney
- Postcode
- CB6 1UG
- Parliamentary constituency
- South West Norfolk
- Phone
- 01353 860711
- Nearest railway station
- Manea — 7.4 km
- Official site
- www.wwt.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q3358495 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Ouse Washes (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Ouse Washes at Welney.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Ouse Washes?
- Ouse Washes is in Norfolk, London, United Kingdom (postcode CB6 1UG), in the parish of Welney.
- Who runs Ouse Washes?
- Ouse Washes is operated by Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
- Is Ouse Washes a listed building?
- Ouse Washes is officially recognised as Ramsar site listed.
- Is Ouse Washes a protected site?
- Yes — Ouse Washes is part of the Ouse Washes SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Ouse Washes Ramsar wetland.
- Is Ouse Washes free to visit?
- Yes, Ouse Washes is free to enter.
- How do I get to Ouse Washes?
- The nearest railway station is Manea, about 7.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CB6 1UG.