Abbotts Hall Farm

Abbotts Hall Farm is a 282 hectare nature reserve in Great Wigborough in Essex. It is the head office of the Essex Wildlife Trust, which manages the site.[1] It is also part of the Blackwater Estuary National Nature Reserve,[2] Site of Special Scientific Interest,[3][4] Ramsar site,[5] Special Protection Area[6] and Special Area of Conservation,[7] It is an important archaeological site,[8] and includes a Scheduled Monument, Great Wigborough henge.[9]

Abbotts Hall Farm
Type	Nature reserve
Location	Great Wigborough, Essex
OS grid	TL 963 146
Area	282 hectares
Managed by	Essex Wildlife Trust

This is a working farm which is managed to encourage wildlife. Seawalls have been breached to create marshland, which has many fish, insects, invertebrates and plants which provide food for migrating birds. A new lake has also been constructed, and fields provide additional habitats for fauna such as skylarks.[1]

There is access to some areas and footpaths across others.[1]

References

1. "Abbotts Hall Farm". Essex Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
2. "Essex's National Nature Reserves". Natural England. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
3. "Blackwater Estuary citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
4. "Map of Blackwater Estuary". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
5. "Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS): Blackwater Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 4)" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
6. "Blackwater Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 4)". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
7. "Essex Estuaries". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
8. "Abbotts Hall Farm: Archaeology" (PDF). Essex Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
9. "Great Wigborough henge". Historic England. Retrieved 13 September 2016.