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  • Rockland Marshes

Rockland Marshes

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Address
10-12 New Inn Hill, Norwich NR14
Grid ref
TG327046
What3Words
state.gets.radiated

This small reserve provides superb views over Rockland Broad, the River Yare, reedbeds and open grazing marshes, via a wheelchair-friendly path. A hide overlooks the Broad itself, where in spring and summer, kingfishers and great crested grebes can be seen. Take a quiet stroll and enjoy the peaceful river views.

Plan your visit

Opening times

Open at all times.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Children
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Car park cost

Free

Facilities

  • Car park
  • Pushchair friendly
  • Viewing points are closed

Accessibility

  • Full accessibility information (external website)

How to get here

By train

If you wish to travel by train it is best to stop at Norwich and take the bus.

By bus

Service 001 (limited times) runs from Norwich to Rockland St Mary village/Loddon, Monday to Saturday. Operated by Anglian Coaches, from All Saints Green, John Lewis layby. Walk out of village to Staithe car park.

Other ways to get there

Public moorings are available by the car park at Rockland Staithe.

Get directions from Google Maps
View on What3Words
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Contact Rockland Marshes

  • 10-12 New Inn Hill, Norwich NR14
  • strumpshaw@rspb.org.uk
  • 01603 715191

What will you see?

Our star species

    Barn owl

    Barn owl

    When the barn owls have young to feed, you could see them at any time of day.

    Cetti's warbler

    Cetti's warbler

    Cetti's warblers are recent colonists of the UK which are very often hard to see.

    Great crested grebe, summer plumage

    Great crested grebe

    Great crested grebes are known for their dramatic courtship displays and can be seen later in the year with their young.

    Perched Kingfisher illustration

    Kingfisher

    Kingfishers are a year-round attraction at Rockland, especially active in spring and summer.

    Mute swan adult

    Mute swan

    Mute swans are resident at Rockland Marshes. In spring and summer, watch for the cygnets being attended to by their protective parents.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

During spring, you can hear sedge, reed and grasshopper warblers sing from the Broad margins and ditches. Cetti's warblers sing loudly from the willows. Great crested grebes display on the water. Marsh harriers perform display flights over the reedbeds.

Over summer, mute swans gather to moult on the Broad. Barn owls and marsh harriers hunt over the grazing marshes. Kingfishers collect food for their young. Migrating ospreys regularly drop in to fish. Dragonflies are abundant along the water's edge.

Ospreys are regular visitors throughout autumn. Tufted ducks, pochards and goldeneyes arrive to spend winter on the Broad. Large numbers of gulls gather in the afternoon.

Tufted ducks, pochards and goldeneyes spend the winter on the Broad. Large numbers of gulls gather in the afternoon.

About Rockland Marshes

Habitat

Habitats at Rocklan Marshes include reedbeds, wet grassland, wet woodland, pools, ponds and ditches.

Conservation

Our work on our reedbeds includes removing scrub and invasive plants, summer mowing and grazing and seasonal flooding. We are also managing our fen meadow for its flora and breeding snipe by maintaining water levels, clearing rushes, grazing and mowing, and trampling with livestock to create boggy ground. We plan to restore more of this habitat.

We are managing our wet grassland for the benefit of wintering waterfowl and breeding waders, using grazing and topping to create suitable sward heights. We also cut back encroaching rushes and scrub, and control ditch water levels, while retaining boggy areas and pools.

We are managing our wet woodland for key breeding birds, including Cetti's warblers, willow tits and bullfinches. Our intervention here is minimal, except to control alien plants, protect standing dead wood and keep water levels high enough from April to July.

We are managing our pools, ponds and ditches for the benefit of aquatic flora, wildfowl, otters, water voles and bitterns. Work includes maintaining ditch edges, improving water quality, removing vegetation from open pools and increasing the number of fish.

Site information

This small reserve provides views over Rockland Broad, the River Yare, reedbeds and open grazing marshes, via a wheelchair-friendly path.

Latest forum posts

  • Swans from Fen hide 18th January 2020

    Posted 16/02/2020 by HizerKite
  • Swan from Fen hide 18th January 2020

    Posted 16/02/2020 by HizerKite
  • Snipe, I missed focus a little. Saw 2 of them. Love Strumpshaw :)

    From Fen Hide at Strumpsh aw. 21st September 2019

    Posted 22/09/2019 by HizerKite
  • Kingfisher from fen hide11th August 2019

    Posted 13/08/2019 by HizerKite
read our forum

Latest blog posts

  • July Recent Sightings - From our guide in the hide Sean Locke

    It has been a bit hot recently, hasn't it? A heatwave hit the UK this month with temperatures reaching around 40°C! Strumpshaw was sweltering! Thankfully, no wildfires occurred. However, water levels have dropped and parts of the reserve had dried up...

    Posted 28/07/2022 by StrumpshawFen
  • Recent Sightings - June highlights from our guide in the hide Sean Locke

    Spring was fairly warm for the most part this year and with summer now here, it has only gotten hotter and hotter. The birds had been fairly busy feeding their young and we've been overjoyed with species such as our marsh harriers which have had a gr...

    Posted 29/06/2022 by StrumpshawFen
  • Step back in time and take a wander through the rich fen meadow at Strumpshaw Fen by Barry Madden

    The Meadow Trail at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen is always full of interest. It is a real delight to wander along the mown paths surrounded by a colourful community of wetland plants such as ragged robin, meadow buttercup, delicate, pale lilac cuckooflower, s...

    Posted 28/06/2022 by StrumpshawFen
  • Recent Sightings from our Guide in the Hide Sean Locke

    May Sightings SWALLOWTAIL SEASON HAS BEGUN! I'm sure many of you will be happy to hear that and have been making your way to Strumpshaw to see these rare and beautiful butterflies.  Swallowtail on yellow flag iris in front of Reception Hide After a t...

    Posted 31/05/2022 by StrumpshawFen
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