Natural England - Teesmouth NNR

Teesmouth NNR

Teesmouth NNR is a coastal site with a range of habitats including intertidal mud and sand flats, sand dune systems, saltmarsh and grazing marsh.

Where: Cleveland

Main habitat: Coastal

Why visit:
Teesmouth NNR is a nature reserve with a difference. Set against a backdrop of heavy industry, it shows how nature can adapt and thrive in the most unlikely situations.

Star species:
Look out for the stunning red and black burnet moths as well as a huge variety of birds from waders like oystercatchers and sanderlings, to beautiful and enigmatic short-eared owls and merlins The reserve is also home to a colony of common seals.

Access:
A well surfaced way-marked trail takes you to the North Gare breakwater. There is also an easy-access footpath connecting the Cowpen Marsh car park with two wheelchair accessible observation hides.

Other nearby attractions:
RSPB Saltholme is a new wildlife reserve with specially designed visitor centre, walking trails and wildlife hides.

Welcome to Teesmouth National Nature Reserve

Arrive at Teesmouth and you know you’ve come to a reserve like no other. But while power stations and other industrial sites may loom large on the horizon, the reserve is still home to an amazing array of flora and fauna.

Look out for common (harbour) and grey seals basking beside the tidal channels, rare plants including four different species of marsh orchid, and hundreds of migratory waterbirds swooping down to feed on the mudflats.

The site contains two Sites of Special Scientific Interest and the whole reserve is part of the Teesmouth and Cleveland Special Protection Area and Ramsar site.