River Stour

The River Stour marks the boundary between Suffolk and Essex. The stretch on the reserve has no flood bank, so much of the surrounding land is under water at times of heavy rain. Silt from the river enriches the soil, which creates ideal growing conditions for cricket bat willows ( and stinging nettles!).

Along the river there are pillboxes which were built during World War II, in 1940, to guard against an invasion along the river. Many bats fly along the river in search of food and a place to hibernate. The pillbox on this site has been converted into a bat hibernaculum, by fixing bat bricks into the walls. Beside the pillbox is a weir, which ensures deeper water upstream while oxygenating the river. There are remnants of the old, metal weir at the side of the bank and the new weir, built in 1999, has been made out of tarmac.

Aquatic plants in the area include water lily, arrowhead and lesser reedmace the latter often mistakenly termed 'bulrush'. In spring and summer large numbers of reed and a few sedge warblers nest here, and kingfishers are regularly seen. Orange tip butterflies often abound in spring, the caterpillars feeding on cuckoo flower and garlic mustard. Common and brown hawkers, large red damselfly and banded demoiselle may all be observed along this stretch. The much scarcer red-eyed damselfly was first recorded here in 1998.