Colne Estuary

Nature reserve in Essex, England

Colne EstuarySite of Special Scientific Interest

Location| Essex
Grid reference| TM075155
Interest| Biological
Geological
Area| 2915.2 hectares
Notification| 1989
Location map| Magic Map
Designations

Ramsar Wetland

Official name| Colne Estuary
Designated| 28 July 1994
Reference no.| 665[1]

Colne Estuary is a 2915 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Brightlingsea in Essex. It is also a Nature Conservation Review site, a National Nature Reserve,[2][3] a Ramsar wetland site of international importance,[4] a Special Protection Area,[5] a Special Area of Conservation,[6] and a Geological Conservation Review site.[7] Three areas in the site are managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, Colne Point, Fingringhoe Wick and Howlands Marsh.[2]

The site has varied habitats, such as saltmarsh, mud flats, shingle spits and former gravel pits. It is of international importance for wintering brent geese and black-tailed godwits, and of national importance for six other bird species, including little terns. It also has important assemblages of invertebrates and plants, such as golden samphire and shrubby seablite. A peat seam in St Osyph Marsh has been dated to 4280 BP, and this marsh is important for saltmarsh morphology.[2]

There are important geological exposures for Pleistocene studies at East Mersea; investigation is at an early stage, but they show warm climate deposits from one or more post-Anglian interglacials.[2]

## References

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1. ^ "Colne Estuary". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
2. ^ a b c d "Colne Estuary citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
3. ^ "Map of Colne Estuary". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
4. ^ "Colne Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 2)" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
5. ^ "Special Protection Area under the EC Birds Directive: Colne Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 2)" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
6. ^ "Essex Estuaries". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
7. ^ "OTHER DESIGNATED SITES IN THE SEA 3 AREA" (PDF). Department of Trade and Industry. 2002. p. 27. Retrieved 7 December 2015.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colne Estuary.

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Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Essex

Biological|

* Abberton Reservoir
* Ashdon Meadows
* Basildon Meadows
* Belcher's and Broadfield Woods
* Benfleet and Southend Marshes
* Blackwater Estuary
* Blake's Wood & Lingwood Common
* Bovingdon Hall Woods
* Bullock Wood
* Canvey Wick
* Cattawade Marshes
* Chalkney Wood
* Colne Estuary
* The Coppice, Kelvedon Hatch
* Cornmill Stream and Old River Lea
* Crouch and Roach Estuaries
* Curtismill Green
* Danbury Common
* Debden Water
* Dengie
* Elsenham Woods
* Epping Forest
* Foulness
* Garnetts Wood and Barnston Lays
* Garrold's Meadow
* Glemsford Pits
* Grays Thurrock Chalk Pit
* Great Wood and Dodd's Grove
* Hainault Forest
* Hales and Shadwell Woods
* Hamford Water
* Hangman's Wood and Deneholes
* Hanningfield Reservoir
* Harlow Woods
* Hatfield Forest
* High Wood, Dunmow
* Hockley Woods
* Holehaven Creek
* Holland Haven Marshes
* Hunsdon Mead
* Inner Thames Marshes
* Little Hallingbury Marsh
* Mill Meadows
* Mucking Flats and Marshes
* Norsey Wood
* Nunn Wood
* Pitsea Marsh
* Quendon Wood
* Riddles Wood
* Roding Valley Meadows
* Roman River
* Sandbeach Meadows
* Stour and Copperas Woods, Ramsey
* Stour Estuary
* Thorndon Park
* Thrift Wood, Woodham Ferrers
* Thundersley Great Common
* Tiptree Heath
* Turnford and Cheshunt Pits
* Upper Colne Marshes
* Vange and Fobbing Marshes
* Waltham Abbey
* Weeleyhall Wood
* West Thurrock Lagoon and Marshes
* West Wood, Little Sampford
* Woodham Walter Common

Geological|

* Ardleigh Gravel Pit
* Clacton Cliffs and Foreshore
* The Cliff, Burnham-on-Crouch
* Colne Estuary
* Dengie
* Globe Pit
* Goldsands Road Pit
* Hall's Quarry
* Harwich Foreshore
* Holland-on-Sea Cliff
* Lion Pit
* Little Oakley Channel Deposit
* Lofts Farm Pit
* Maldon Cutting
* Marks Tey Brickpit
* The Naze
* Newney Green Pit
* Purfleet Chalk Pits
* Purfleet Road, Aveley
* River Ter
* St Osyth Pit
* Stour Estuary
* Wivenhoe Gravel Pit

51°48′36″N 0°58′44″E﻿ / ﻿51.810°N 0.979°E﻿ / 51.810; 0.979
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