Orford Ness National Nature Reserve

The largest vegetated shingle spit in Europe, the Reserve contains a variety of habitats including shingle, saltmarsh, mudflat, brackish lagoons and grazing marsh. It provides an important location for breeding and passage birds as well as for the shingle flora, including a large number of nationally rare species. The Ness was a secret military test site from 1913 until the mid-1980s. Visitors follow a 5½ml route, which can be walked in total or in part (the full walk involves walking on shingle). Other walks (approx. 3mls) are open seasonally.Access around the site is on foot only, but tractor-drawn trailer tours operate 1st Sat of the month July to Sept, booking essential. Pagodas (military buildings) accessible only on guided events. No dogs or cycles