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Our work here
18 July 2011
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Northward Hill has been an RSPB reserve since 1956 and offers views of Britain's largest heronry with over 100 pairs of grey herons and 100 pairs of little egrets. There are nationally important concentrations of waterfowl in winter and a fine range of breeding and wintering raptors for all to see.
The marshes lost their value for wildlife when the land was drained in the 1940s. In the early 1990s, we purchased 278 ha of arable farmland and grazing marsh with the aim of restoring wetland habitats and extending the area of woodland. What were once arable fields are now grassland, and can attract up to 120 pairs of breeding waders, including avocets, lapwings and redshanks.
Northward Hill is blessed by spectacular views over the western North Kent Marshes, particularly from the entrance track to the reserve at Bromhey Farm and from the viewpoint on the Saxon Shore Way. Many people come to enjoy the views and the atmosphere of peace and quiet that exists on the reserve, despite it being so close to large centres of population and industry.
A walk through the woods from the car park in High Halstow village is as good a walk as any with the nightingales arriving in April and the bluebells starting to grow. The view from the woodland viewpoint at the top of Northward Hill looking out over the marshes and river is breathtaking.
Marshland
Our plan to manage the marsh for the benefit of the breeding wader population, wintering and migrating waterfowl, water voles and scarce invertebrates is well underway. Bird life on the marsh includes avocets, redshanks, lapwings, black-tailed godwits, little egrets, grey herons and wildfowl. We plan to enhance this environment further by controlling water levels.
Woodland
Ensuring favourable conditions for breeding birds and butterflies will ensure the success of Northward Hill. In spring, a carpet of bluebells and the song of blackcaps and nightingales fill the wood, creating a haven that is perfect for enjoying the outdoors. Woodpeckers can be heard drumming and later in the year, noisy jays gather acorns to store for the winter. A spectacular roost of up to 4,000 rooks and jackdaws gather between December and March.
Access for all
We aim to make the site accessible to everyone without impinging on our conservation priorities. We will develop and promote the reserve as a visitor attraction and a quiet place of beauty. We aim to encourage interest in local and general conservation, and create a broader understanding of the work of the RSPB.
Funding
We are grateful to Defra and Natural England for financial support towards the reserve management here. And thanks to help from employees of Goldman Sachs, we have been able to deliver more for conservation at Northward Hill.