Benacre National Nature Reserve
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Benacre NNR is a National Nature Reserve in the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the North Sea coast in the parishs of Benacre, Suffolk, Covehithe and Easton Bavents. It lies between the towns of Lowestoft and Southwold.
Benacre NNR consists of three isolated "broads" near the River Waveney, but not part of the Broads network:
The reserve features extensive reedbeds, woodland and heathland, as well as pits created by gravel extraction. Reed is farmed commercially for the thatching industry, whilst enabling the bearded reedling to find a habitat.
There are over 100 species of breeding birds, including marsh harrier, bearded reedling, water rail, and occasionally bittern. The flora includes seakale, sea holly, and yellow-horned poppy.
The coastline has eroded rapidly over time and the reserve is threatened by both erosion and sea level rise. Some of the ongoing work at the reserve is stopping the encroaching sea by digging new lagoons and establishing more sea defences, and replacing the woodland lost to the sea.
Whilst the broads system came about through peat digging in the Middle Ages, the broads in the reserve are lakes formed in shallow valleys when glacial drift blocked off the outflow to the sea.