List of Ramsar sites in England facts for kids

This list of Ramsar sites in England includes special wetland areas that are considered super important around the world. These places are recognized under an agreement called the Ramsar Convention. England currently has 71 of these amazing sites, which are known as "Wetlands of International Importance." If you want to see a list of all Ramsar sites globally, you can check out the worldwide list.

What are Ramsar Sites?

Ramsar sites are wetlands that are really important for nature and wildlife. A wetland is a place where land is covered by water, either all the time or just for a season. This includes places like marshes, fens, rivers, lakes, and even coastal areas. The Ramsar Convention is an international agreement that helps protect these special places. It was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971.

Why are Wetlands Important?

Wetlands are like nature's superheroes! They do so many important things:

• They are home to tons of different plants and animals, especially birds, fish, and insects.
• They help clean our water by filtering out pollution.
• They act like giant sponges, soaking up extra water and preventing floods.
• They store carbon, which helps fight climate change.
• They provide beautiful places for people to enjoy nature, like birdwatching or walking.

England's Important Wetlands

England has many incredible wetlands that have been chosen as Ramsar sites. These sites are protected because they are vital for different types of wildlife, especially migratory birds that travel long distances. Here's a look at some of these special places:

Name	Location	Description	Image
Abberton Reservoir	Essex	An artificial lake that's a key spot for birds like golden plover, gadwall, shoveller, teal, and cormorants.
Alde–Ore Estuary	Suffolk	A large estuary where the Alde and Ore rivers meet the sea, important for coastal wildlife.
Arun Valley	West Sussex	This valley includes important floodplains and water meadows.
Avon Valley	Hampshire	A river valley with diverse habitats, including water meadows.
Benfleet and Southend Marshes	Essex	Coastal marshes important for birds and marine life.
Blackwater Estuary	Essex	A large estuary with mudflats and saltmarshes.
Breydon Water	Norfolk	A wide, shallow stretch of water, great for many bird species.
Broadland	Norfolk	A network of rivers and lakes, home to rare plants and animals.
Chesil Beach and The Fleet	Dorset	A unique shingle beach and a shallow lagoon behind it.
Chichester and Langstone Harbours	Hampshire	Two linked harbours with extensive mudflats and saltmarshes.
Chippenham Fen	Cambridgeshire	A rare example of an undrained fen wetland.
Colne Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 2)	Essex Coast	Part of the important Essex coastline, providing habitats for birds.
Crouch and Roach Estuaries (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 3)	Essex Coast	Estuaries with mudflats and saltmarshes, important for wading birds.
Deben Estuary SSSI	Suffolk	A beautiful estuary with diverse habitats.
The Dee Estuary	Cheshire, Flintshire	A very large estuary, crucial for many bird species.
Dengie (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 1)	Essex Coast	Coastal marshes and mudflats on the Essex coast.
Dersingham Bog	Norfolk	A lowland bog with special plants and insects.
Dorset Heathlands	Dorset	A mix of heathland and wetland habitats.
Duddon Estuary		A large estuary in the north-west, important for birds.
Esthwaite Water		A lake in the Lake District, known for its freshwater habitats.
Exe Estuary	Devon	A wide estuary in Devon, home to many wading birds.
Foulness (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 5)	Essex Coast	Large area of mudflats and saltmarshes on the Essex coast.
Gibraltar Point		A coastal nature reserve with dunes and saltmarshes.
Hamford Water		An area of tidal creeks and islands.
Holburn Lake and Moss		A small lake and mossland area.
Humber Estuary	Lincolnshire, Yorkshire	One of the largest estuaries in the UK, vital for birds.
Irthinghead Mires		A complex of peat bogs and mires.
Isles of Scilly		Islands with diverse coastal and marine habitats.
Lea Valley		A river valley with a chain of wetlands and reservoirs.
Leighton Moss		A large reedbed and marsh, famous for its birds.
Lindisfarne	Northumberland	A coastal area with mudflats, sand dunes, and saltmarshes.
Lower Derwent Valley		A river valley with floodplains and wet grasslands.
Malham Tarn		A high-altitude lake in the Yorkshire Dales.
Martin Mere		A large wetland centre, home to many water birds.
Medway Estuary and Marshes	Kent	A large estuary with extensive mudflats and saltmarshes.
Mersey Estuary		The estuary of the River Mersey, important for birds.
Midland Meres and Mosses (Phase 1)		A group of natural lakes (meres) and peat bogs (mosses).
Midland Meres and Mosses (Phase 2)		Another group of meres and mosses, important for biodiversity.
Minsmere-Walberswick	Suffolk	A mix of coastal habitats, including reedbeds and marshes.
Morecambe Bay		A very large bay with extensive mudflats and sandflats.
Nene Washes	Cambridgeshire	Floodplain grasslands that are important for wintering birds.
The New Forest	Hampshire	Includes important wetland habitats within the famous forest.
North Norfolk Coast	Norfolk	A diverse coastline with saltmarshes, dunes, and mudflats.
Northumbria Coast	Northumberland	Coastal areas important for seabirds and waders.
Ouse Washes	Cambridgeshire, Norfolk	Floodplain grasslands that are crucial for wintering wildfowl.
Pagham Harbour	Hampshire	A tidal harbour with mudflats and saltmarshes.
Pevensey Levels	East Sussex	A large area of grazing marsh and ditches.
Poole Harbour	Dorset	One of the world's largest natural harbours, rich in wildlife.
Portsmouth Harbour	Hampshire	A busy harbour that also supports important bird populations.
Redgrave and South Lopham Fens		Rare fen habitats with unique plants and insects.
Ribble and Alt Estuaries	Lancashire	Large estuaries important for migratory birds.
Rostherne Mere		A deep, natural lake with special aquatic life.
Roydon Common		A lowland heath and mire system.
Rutland Water		A large reservoir, important for birds, including ospreys.
Severn Estuary		A very large estuary with huge tidal ranges, vital for birds.
Solent and Southampton Water		A complex system of estuaries and coastal waters.
Somerset Levels and Moors		A large area of low-lying wetlands, important for birds and farming.
South West London Waterbodies		A series of reservoirs and gravel pits in London.
Stodmarsh	Kent	A national nature reserve with reedbeds and marshes.
Stour and Orwell Estuaries	Suffolk	Two estuaries that join, providing important habitats.
The Swale	Kent	An estuary and island, important for coastal birds.
Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast	Cleveland	A coastal area with mudflats and saltmarshes.
Thames Estuary and Marshes	Essex, Kent	The estuary of the River Thames, important for birds.
Thanet Coast and Sandwich Bay	Kent	A coastal area with cliffs, sandy beaches, and dunes.
Thursley and Ockley Bog	Surrey	A lowland bog and heathland area.
Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits		Old gravel pits that have become important wetlands.
Upper Solway Flats and Marshes	Surrey	A large area of intertidal flats and saltmarshes.
Walmore Common		A traditional floodplain grassland.
The Wash	Norfolk, Lincolnshire	The largest estuary in the UK, incredibly important for birds.
Wicken Fen	Cambridgeshire	One of the oldest nature reserves, a classic fen habitat.
Woodwalton Fen	Cambridgeshire	A rare example of a lowland fen.

See also

• Ramsar Convention
• List of Ramsar sites worldwide