Natural England - Suffolk River Valleys ESA

Suffolk River Valleys ESA

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) scheme has now closed to new applicants and has been superseded by the Environmental Stewardship scheme. Some existing agreements will, however, continue until 2014.

The Suffolk River Valleys ESA extends over 43,734 ha and encompasses eight main river systems. These are mainly located in eastern and southern Suffolk, with one bordering with north Essex. Significant areas of grassland still occur and the landscape remains traditional and pastoral in character, contrasting with the broader arable landscape of the surrounding countryside. The valleys, which may be very narrow in their upper reaches, typically widen into open coastal marshes, which are flanked on the inland side by the sandy, and sometimes heathy, slopes of the Suffolk Sandlings.

Description

The Suffolk River Valleys ESA has a traditional, pastoral character created by the mix of traditional grazing and arable cultivation. The permanent pastures of the valley floors are inherently wet, and are drained by a network of ditches. In contrast, the grassland and arable areas typical of the dry valley slopes are enclosed by hedges, often with hedgerow trees. The importance of this landscape is reflected by the fact that most of the ESA falls within the Dedham Vale and the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or within Suffolk County Council's designated special landscape areas.

Significant habitats and species

The boundary of the ESA closely follows the eight river valleys, and much of the ecological interest lies in the semi-natural wetland habitats within the valley bottoms. These areas are important for a variety of wildfowl and waders as well as other wildlife, including a diversity of wetland plants, amphibians, and otters. Areas of dry acid grassland and heathland on some valley slopes and coastal strips are also of importance, especially for their plant and invertebrate interest. The ESA contains parts of two National Nature Reserves and several Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

ESA management options

There were five main options available within the Suffolk River Valleys ESA:

  • Maintenance of permanent grassland by a traditional grassland management regime, and maintenance of features such as hedges, ditches, trees, pollarded willows, ponds and reedbeds. Restrictions on the use of fertilisers, herbicides and drainage. Historical features must not be damaged or destroyed.

  • Maintenance of low-input grassland to protect water quality in the ditches and conserve species-richness.

  • Creation of marshland conditions by maintenance of high water levels or arable reversion to grassland.

  • Management of fen to maintain wildlife interest.

  • Maintenance of woodland. 

Contact

Natural England's Suffolk office