Cley Marshes

NWT Cley Marshes is Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s oldest and best known nature reserve. It was purchased in 1926 making it the first Wildlife Trust reserve in the country. The shingle beach and saline lagoons, along with the grazing marsh and reedbed support large numbers of wintering and migrating wildfowl and waders, as well as bittern, marsh harrier and bearded tit.

A new eco-friendly visitor centre opened in 2007 containing a café, shop, viewing areas (including viewing from a camera on the reserve), exhibition area, interpretation and toilets. The view from the visitor centre across the Marsh to the sea is breathtaking.

Dogs Policy:
NWT no dogs policy. Visitors with dogs can walk Beach Road, along shingle bank (Northern reserve boundary) and East bank – from here you can see some areas of the reserve.

Post code:

NR25 7SA

Contact Number:

01263 740008

Reserve information and details
What to see at Cley Marshes

Opening times

Season	Opening Days	Opening Hours
March to October	Everyday	10am to 5pm
1 November to 1 March	Everyday	10am to 4pm

Prices

There is a small charge for access to the reserve for adult non-members, though the visitor centre is free entry.

Non-members:	£4
Members and children:	Free

Directions and Transport

Cley Marshes is on the north Norfolk coast, on the A149 coast road, 6km north of Holt. The visitor centre and car park are easily accessible on the landward side of the road. Entrance is located directly across the A149 coast road from the car park. The Coasthopper bus service stops just outside the nature reserve.

Facts

Type:	Reedbed, pools, wet grassland
Size:	160 Hectares
Designation:	SPA, SAC, SSSI, Ramsar
Map reference:	OS Landranger 133
Grid reference:	TG 054 440

Did you know?

NWT Cley Marshes was purchased in 1926 to be held 'in perpetuity as a bird breeding sanctuary'. It was NWT's first nature reserve and provided a blue print for nature conservation which has now been replicated across the UK.The water levels in the pools and reedbeds are regulated to ensure they are ideal for the resident birds, and reed is harvested every year to keep the reedbeds in good condition.

Facilities

Environmentally friendly visitor centre. Wildlife Detective Bumbags for children are free to use. Five hides (with excellent wheelchair access) provide bird watching within metres of the pools where the birds congregate. Reserve leaflet and information boards. Discover the audio trail and enjoy the wonderful sounds as well as the spectacular sights found at Cley Marshes.

Visitor centre

The award-winning visitor centre has a café and gift shop as well as a remote-controlled wildlife camera and audio-visual presentations about the changing coastline.

What to look for

Spring/summer

avocet, spoonbill, ringed plover, redshank, lapwing.

Autumn/winter

wigeon, pintail, brent goose.

Year round

bittern, marsh harrier, bearded tit, teal.

Audio Trail

We have a fantastic audio trail at NWT Cley Marshes. Listen in on the personal reflections of ten people as they discuss what makes NWT Cley Marshes a special place for them. Learn about the reserve’s history, wildlife, management and future through a 20-minute audio trail that can be hired free of charge from Cley visitor centre. Through this interactive interpretation we hope people will see the reserve in a new light and understand why we think it is such a fantastic place both for people and wildlife. It is also available to listen online! Click on the track links below:

Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Track 4
Track 5
Track 6
Track 7

The audio trail is made possible with thanks to www.audiotrails.co.uk

Meet at NWT Cley Marshes visitor centre

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