Aerial photo of The Wilds south of MArtlesham Creek and west of the River Deben

At close to 300 acres, Martlesham Wilds will be a substantial new nature reserve located in the Parish of Martlesham  –  the Wilds are owned and managed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust, and Martlesham Council is working collaboratively with Suffolk Wildlife Trust on the project to help deliver on the Parish Council's Climate Emergency Declaration.

This ‘wilded’ land  will become part of a connected landscape of ancient woodland, scrub, grassland and saltings, linked by the River Deben. The Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s vision for the new nature reserve is to create a space in which nature can recover – to allow wilder habitats to return and become homes to species such as curlew, avocet and redshank, as well as reptiles, mammals and invertebrates. As thickets of hawthorn, blackthorn, gorse and wild rose establish on the dry sandy soils, they will support growing flocks of linnets and yellowhammers, and in time we hope nightingale will return. Small mammals will thrive in the dense undergrowth and insects will abound. Grass snakes, slow worms and common lizards will expand into the new areas of habitat and barn owls will come a regular sight at dusk.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust also has a vision for a wilder Suffolk – where nature is thriving and abundant, because everyone is doing more to help. The Suffolk Wildlife Trust is championing two collective targets in Suffolk:

  • To protect and restore 30% of Suffolk’s land and sea for nature recovery

• To inspire and support 1 in 4 people in Suffolk to take action for nature and climate.

Martlesham Wilds is a big step in reaching these goals.

DID YOU KNOW? – ‘Wilds’ is an old Suffolk term for a rough, wildlife-rich landscape.

The public can visit Martlesham Wilds for walking and there is a small car park for those travelling by car. The reserve can be reached by bus routes operating to Martlesham from Ipswich and Woodbridge.

Dogs are welcome however must be on leads to help the animals, plants and landscape to recover and re-establish.

More information may be found on Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s website.