Holkham National Nature Reserve Locations
The Lookout
From water’s edge to treetop we’re taking care
Holkham National Nature Reserve (NNR) covers 10,000 acres of the coast between Stiffkey and Burnham Norton. It is made up of diverse habitats such as salt marshes, sand dunes, tidal sands, pine woodland and the reclaimed freshwater grazing marshes you see before you.
The grazing marshes are important for wintering wildfowl such as Wigeon, Teal, Pink-footed and White-fronted Geese. In the summer Lapwings, Redshank and Avocets arrive to nest. The old 18th century sea bank to your left was built to take land back from the sea by starving the marshes of seawater, hence a transformation to brackish then freshwater marshes with some land farmed over the years before recent environmental schemes gave all the land back to nature. It is hard to believe that in the Middle Ages Holkham village was once home to a small but thriving port. With climate change and predicted sea level rises in the future, history might repeat itself again as even more transformations are likely to take place.
It is hard to believe that in the Middle Ages Holkham village was once home to a small but thriving port. With climate change and predicted sea level rises in the future, history might repeat itself again as even more transformations are likely to take place.
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Jordan Hide
The Jordan Hide overlooks the old marshes of Holkham, steeped in ancient history. Central in the viewpoint is the raised-up grass mound, Holkham Fort. This has origins dating back to the Iron Age with folklore involving the Iceni battling Romans and a refuge for marauding Vikings.
Holkham Bay
The landscape and nature of Holkham Bay is dictated by the actions of the North Sea. Twice daily the tide comes in, bringing sediments of sand, shingle and shells alongside seeds of plants. Development of sand dunes and saltmarshes here have been more pronounced in modern times than many other places along the coast, creating the distinctive view you see before you.
Orchid Valley
Walking west from the end of the pines through the dunes you will find a wide valley, known locally as Orchid Valley. As the name would suggest, this is an excellent area to search for a variety of delicate orchid species during the spring and early-summer.
Gun Hill
The shingle beach at Gun Hill is the perfect habitat for some of our key breeding birds such as oystercatchers and ringed plovers.
Burrow Gap
The pinewoods are an important component of the National Nature Reserve and are home to a selection of rare plant species. To maintain their diversity the pinewoods are managed by the Holkham Forestry team. Periodic thinning (removing selected trees) allows more light to reach the woodland floor producing sheltered conditions for plants and insects to thrive.
West Pines
This is one of the best views on the Holkham Estate. The 360 view across the nature reserve looking look over the grazing marshes to the south, west over the dunes towards Gun Hill, north the beach and east over the pines.
Salts Hole
When the tidal waters formerly passed through the marshes that you see today, one of the main inlets was here at this small pool, Salts Hole.
Costal Path
The pine woods (known as Holkham Meals) remain an important and distinctive landscape feature on the Norfolk coast.