Blakeney National Nature Reserve

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Overview

Wide open spaces and uninterrupted views of the natural and dynamic coastline make the Blakeney NNR very special. Situated on the north Norfolk coast, the reserve’s many features of interest include subtidal sandbanks, saltmarsh, intertidal mudflats and sandbanks, shallow inlets and bays – and the country’s largest colony of grey seals. Blakeney Point is a four-mile-long sand and shingle spit. Sand dunes have formed on the shingle ridge over hundreds of years, and now form a rare habitat valuable for unusual plants, insects and birds. Blakeney is internationally famous for its birdlife, and Blakeney Point is one of the most important sites in Europe for breeding terns. There is a total of over 2,400 grey seals pups on Blakeney Point, making it the largest colony in England. You can see seals here all year round by taking a boat trip from Morston Quay. The surrounding landscape of saltmarsh, mudflats and freshwater marsh host their own diverse range of special wildlife. The landscape is in a constant state of flux, adapting to the forces of nature shaping this ever-changing coastline.

Location

Blakeney

About the area

The North Norfolk Coast is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and probably the finest of its kind in Europe. Here you’ll find a string of quaint villages and small towns – Holkham, Wells-next-the-Sea and Cley next the Sea are 21st-century favourites, while Sheringham and Cromer are classic examples of a good old-fashioned seaside resort where grand Victorian hotels look out to sea.