Stiffkey Marshes

Purple sea lavender surrounding a pool of water in a marsh landscape with purple-grey moody, cloudy sky above, which is reflected in the pool — Stiffkey Marshes, Blakeney National Nature Reserve, Norfolk. | © National Trust Images/Justin Minns

Stiffkey Marshes, part of Blakeney National Nature Reserve, is home to one of the country's richest saltmarshes for wildlife. Flooded daily by the tide it is an important conservation area for breeding birds.

Before you visit

The saltmarsh is an intertidal environment that is regularly covered by the tide. Check the tide times in advance and bring appropriate footwear for wet and muddy conditions. This is a sensitive habitat, so please keep to the track and footpaths and make sure dogs are always on leads.

With huge horizons and a vast open expanse of pristine saltmarsh, Stiffkey Marshes was acquired by the National Trust in 1976. The twisting muddy creeks that are flooded by the tide daily are a perfect haven for wildlife.

An important conservation area for breeding and overwintering birds, the saltmarsh is protected by national and international designations.

The Norfolk Coast Path skirts the saltmarsh towards Blakeney to the east and to Wells-Next-The-Sea to the west, offering amazing walks with breathtaking views and sightings of birds.

Tide times

The saltmarsh is an intertidal environment which is regularly submerged at high tide. There is a real risk of being cut off by the tide if you are unprepared. To help keep yourself safe, find out when high tide is before you visit and plan to get back off the marshes at least 4 hours before high tide.

Check the tide times for Wells Bar/Stiffkey Marsh.

More local water safety information can be found on the Wells RNLI Lifeboat Water Safety page.

Footbridge over Cabbage Creek

A new footbridge across Cabbage Creek was completed in November 2024, providing access to this precious habitat and an additional means of escape from the saltmarsh at high tide.

The single-span 20-metre footbridge replaced a previous bridge that had to be removed for safety reasons following erosion of the creek. The new bridge was made possible thanks to funding from Sky in partnership with WWF.

Wildlife

The daily tidal flow is what makes the saltmarshes so important for biodiversity. The tidal flows ensure a rich supply of food for a wide variety of marine life and birds, whilst the regular supply of sediments, nutrients and water sustains plants such as samphire, shrubby seablite, sea purslane and sea lavender.

Stiffkey Marshes is an internationally important conservation area for breeding birds such as redshank and oystercatchers. Standing out against the greens and browns of the saltmarsh, Little Egrets and Spoonbills can be readily spotted on this part of the coast.

Seasonal highlights

Large flocks of over-wintering geese and waders can be seen during the colder months. Brent and Pink-Footed Geese can both be seen on the saltmarshes, and the skeins of Pink-Footed Geese filling the skies whilst flying in to roost at dusk are an iconic north Norfolk winter sight and sound.

During the warmer months the saltmarsh is a kaleidoscope of colours, with the flowering pink thrift in May and June and the beautiful purple carpet of flowering Sea Lavender in July and August turning into autumnal colours as the weather cools.

Military history

Stiffkey is home to some interesting features which point to the rich military history of the Norfolk coast. To the east, along the coast path, you can see a disused pipe that took waste from the World War Two anti-aircraft training camp. Another WW2 feature is an unusual round pill box – a one-off construction that is thought to have been built for a light artillery training.

To the west you can find the remains of a Cold War military installation. Look out for a circular concrete path, about 5m wide and surrounding an area with a diameter of 60m to 80m. Known as ‘the whirligig’, this was the site of a United States Army Air Force rotary launcher which launched Radio Controlled Aircraft Targets (RCATs) for anti-aircraft gun practice.