Sandwich and Pegwell Bay NNR
The reserve is a mixture of natural, semi-natural and artificial habitats.
County: Kent
Main habitats: Coastal, Maritime
Area: 628 Ha
Site map: Nature on the Map
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Although most NNRs are managed by Natural England, 88 are wholly or partly managed by other bodies approved by Council, under Section 35 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Sandwich and Pegwell Bay is owned by a wildlife partnership and managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust.
Natural habitats include; eroding chalk cliffs and wave cut platforms to the north of Pegwell Bay, intertidal mudflats, developing beaches, sand dunes and saltmarsh. Semi-natural habitats include; ancient dune pasture and coastal scrubland while the re-created grassland of the Pegwell Bay Country Park, along with ponds, dykes and ditches are artificial habitats.
The intertidal mudflats support nationally and internationally important numbers of waders and wildfowl, both on migration and over-winter. The sand dunes and ancient dune pasture contain large numbers of southern marsh orchid, marsh helleborine, pyramidal orchid and the occasional lizard orchid.
Location and access
The reserve is on the Kent coast, 5 km west of Ramsgate and 5 km north of Sandwich.
The main access to the reserve is through the Pegwell Bay Country Park reached via the A256.
The nearest train stations are in Ramsgate and Sandwich, served by South Eastern Trains.
Bus services between Sandwich and Ramsgate along the A256 are provided by Stagecoach East Kent.
The reserve is on Route 15 (the Viking Coastal Trail) of the Sustrans National Cycle Network and is on the Thanet Coastal Path (part of the Saxon Shore Way) and the Stour Valley Walk.
Facilities
The nearest toilet and refreshment facilities are in Pegwell Bay Country Park.
The reserve has nature trails, picnic benches and a bird viewing hide. Information boards are provided for visitor information.
