Having already recently appeared in the short film The Feathered Marsh, Norfolk’s most photogenic reserve NWT Cley Marshes is enjoying even more time in front of the camera thanks to local filmmaker Matthew Robinson. His film ‘Cley - Walks with the Warden’ sees the ruggedly beautiful marshes and scrapes – home to some of the country’s rarest birds and each year the site of some of the most astonishing migrations – share the screen with Bernard Bishop, whose family have been custodians of the reserve since it was purchased by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (then the Norfolk Naturalists Trust) in 1926, making it the oldest reserve in the country.
Following Bernard as he leads one of the famous Weekly walks from which the film takes its name, the film records his reflections on the many changes he has seen and his hopes for the reserve’s continued success. One of these is the new state of the art visitor centre and hides, which now attract over 100,000 visitors a year compared with the small groups his great grandfather Robert Bishop guided around 85 years ago. What hasn’t changed over all those years is the site’s tranquil, yet rugged charm and its elemental closeness to nature.
The film shows the walkers meeting Bernard’s son practicing the ancient craft of reed dressing, promising to continue the involvement of the Bishop family with this special place. You can join Bernard for one of our Walks with the Wardens events at Cley each Wednesday (alternating between 10.15am and 2pm) throughout the summer season. There are only ten spaces on each walk, so booking is essential – please call 01263 740008.
To find out more about Matthew Robinson’s work visit:
http://matthewrobinsonfilm.blogspot.com/p/about.html
[Picture: Warden Bernard Bishop leading a walk at NWT Cley Marshes].