Work is now underway on the £8 million Suffolk Broads wetlands restoration project which will see the creation of 1,000 acres of wildness at the gateway to the Broads National Park.

The whole project will cost around £8 million with £4 million coming from the Trust through legacy gifts, the successful £1million public fundraising appeal and the award of £4 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The  Suffolk Wildlife Trust has purchased a parcel of 348 acres of land at Carlton Marshes, which flanks the existing reserve and creates a gateway to the Broads National Park.

The grant is one of the largest ever given to a Wildlife Trust and will enable the biggest wetland creation in the Broads for a decade. Suffolk Wildlife Trust hopes it will become a National Nature Reserve in the next five years – reflecting its ecological importance as well as its social and cultural impact.

After years of detailed planning, contractors have begun work to create swathes of wetland habitat on the new land of Share Marsh and Peto’s Marsh. This will involve the digging of scrapes (shallow pools, which are excellent for supporting wading birds) and the creation of what will be one of the biggest reedbeds in Suffolk.

The work, which initially was going to take place over a three-year period, will now all take place over six months, as part of efforts to reduce disturbance to both wildlife and visitors.

While it may take a year or two for the reserve to “bed in” and become an East Anglian wetland wildness, the increase in muddy areas as a result of the movements of heavy machinery is likely to mean an almost immediate increase in bird numbers visiting Carlton Marshes.

Work on the reserve’s visitor centre is also due to begin this year and should be open by the middle of 2020.

Once finished, the internationally-important reserve will attract around 120,000 visitors per year, with annual offsite expenditure forecast to reach £1,371,500 and supporting up to 43.5FTE local jobs.

Julian Roughton, Chief Executive of Suffolk Wildlife Trust, said the creation of a destination reserve in the county had benefits beyond wildlife.

“The restoration of this special corner of East Anglia will bring rich rewards not just for Suffolk’s wildlife but also for the local economy. The 1,000 acres of reedbed, fen and wetland scrapes will support some of East Anglia’s iconic species such as fen raft spider, marsh harrier, bittern and crane."