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The Great Britain Guide

Forests & woodlands · North East England

Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve

Free admission

Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.

Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve, forests & woodlands in North East England

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1 h–3 h
Nearest railway station
Thornaby · 1.8 km
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Dog-friendly

About

Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve is a named forest, woodland or nature reserve in the United Kingdom. Coordinates: 54.5685°, -1.2788°.

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Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast SSSI

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve is a 50 acres (20 ha) reserve by the northern bank of the River Tees between the Tees Barrage and the Tees Viaduct, near Portrack housing estate in Stockton-on-Tees borough, County Durham. It is the last remaining wetland on the lower Tees. The site is bounded by Marston Road, a disused railway line, the Northumbrian Water's waste water treatment site, the River Tees, the Tees Barrage White Water Course, the grounds of The Talpore pub and a Tees Barrage access road. Ownership of the reserve is split between Tees Valley Wildlife Trust and Northumbrian Water but the reserve is managed by Tees Valley Wildlife Trust. The reserve has mature marsh in the west and north, and artificial ponds make up the remaining portion. The site is at an altitude of 10 metres (33 ft) over datum.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The land for the reserve is inside a former meander of the old River Tees. The loop was removed in 1830–31 by creating the Portrack Cut through the marshes, leaving an artificial oxbow lake, shortening the river and making it more navigable. Part of the oxbow lake of the old river bed was filled in leaving Portrack Lake but this was lost in the 1970s. and they own the western half of the reserve. In 1992 Northumbria Water created new pools in their part of the reserve. Over the years various wildlife projects on the nature reserve have been funded by bodies such as The Environment Trust, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Northumbrian Water, and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
54.5685, -1.2788
Parish
Stockton-on-Tees, unparished area
Postcode
TS18 2PF
Parliamentary constituency
Stockton North
Nearest railway station
Thornaby1.8 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve?
Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve is in North-East England, United Kingdom (postcode TS18 2PF), in the parish of Stockton-on-Tees, unparished area.
Who owns Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve?
Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve is owned by Tees Valley Wildlife Trust.
Is Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve a protected site?
Yes — Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve is part of the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Is Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve free to visit?
Yes, Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve is free to enter.
How do I get to Portrack Marsh, Nature Reserve?
The nearest railway station is Thornaby, about 1.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode TS18 2PF.