Oare Marshes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oare Marshes |
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| Type | Local Nature Reserve |
| Location | Faversham, Kent |
| OS grid | TR 011 645 |
| Area | 71.4 hectares (176 acres) |
| Managed by | Kent Wildlife Trust |
Oare Marshes is a wonderful place for nature, located north of Faversham in Kent. It's a special area called a Local Nature Reserve, which means it's protected for its wildlife. The Kent Wildlife Trust looks after this amazing spot.
This reserve is super important for birds and other wildlife. It's recognized as a National Nature Reserve and a "Ramsar site." A Ramsar site is a wetland that is important all over the world, especially for water birds. It's also part of a "Special Protection Area" because of the many wild birds that live or visit here.
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Visiting Oare Marshes
You can visit Oare Marshes to explore and see the wildlife. There's a car park near the sea wall at the end of Harty Ferry Road. To keep the birds safe and undisturbed, visitors should stay on the public footpaths and nature trails.
You can see the whole reserve from these trails and from special viewing hides. Hides are like small shelters where you can watch birds without scaring them away. If you use a wheelchair or need to park closer, there's a special car park about 300 meters from one of the hides. This hide is easy to reach on flat paths and is great for wheelchair users. You can also get good views of the eastern part of the marsh right from the road.
What Makes Oare Marshes Special?
Oare Marshes is a large area of over 81 hectares (that's about 200 acres!). It has different types of land, including:
- Grazing marsh: Fields where animals like cows might graze.
- Freshwater dykes: Small channels of fresh water.
- Open water 'scrapes': Shallow pools of water.
- Seawall: A wall built to protect the land from the sea.
- Saltmarsh: Marshy land that is sometimes covered by seawater.
This reserve is known for being a quiet and peaceful place, even though it's not far from Faversham. Long ago, from 1787 to 1916, this area was used to make gunpowder! You can still see parts of the old jetty (a pier) that was used for this.
The Harty Ferry used to take people across to the Isle of Sheppey from near the wildlife lookout point. The muddy Oare Creek forms the eastern edge of the reserve. This creek leads inland to the village of Oare. Both Oare Creek and Faversham Creek are open for boats when the tide is high. People have built and repaired boats, including old Thames Sailing Barges, in these creeks for many years. Close to Oare village, you'll find the Oare Meadow, which is also managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust.
Amazing Birds of Oare Marshes
Oare Marshes is incredibly important for birds. Many different kinds of birds come here to breed, to spend the winter, or to stop during their long migrations. The Kent Wildlife Trust manages the water levels and uses grazing animals to create the perfect home for these birds.
Here are some of the amazing birds you might see:
Breeding Birds
These birds build their nests and raise their young at Oare Marshes:
- Pied avocet
- Common redshank
- Common snipe
- Northern lapwing
- Water rail
- Bearded reedling
- Common tern
- Garganey
Migrating Birds
These birds visit Oare Marshes for a rest and food during their long journeys between breeding and wintering grounds:
Overwintering Birds
These birds come to Oare Marshes to spend the colder months:
