Rainham Marshes

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In 2000 the RSPB acquired Aveley and Wennington Marshes, formerly used by the Ministry of Defence as a firing range and a substantial part of the Inner Thames Marshes SSSI, and has developed it into a fine nature reserve. Some 20km of ditch have been restored and sluices have been installed to control water levels across the reserve. Scrapes – areas of shallow water – have been constructed to provide habitat for breeding waders and wintering waterfowl.

Such a large area of grazing marsh adjacent to the Thames Estuary is very important in wildlife terms and particularly for its birds. Large numbers of wildfowl winter here, with wigeon regularly reaching 1,000 and teal up to 3,500. The reserve also supports important numbers of breeding reed bunting, little grebe, meadow pipit and skylark, with stonechat, barn owl, grasshopper warbler and water rail also breeding. On the Thames nearby, large numbers of dunlin and black-tailed godwits winter, along with curlew, grey plover and turnstone.

The reserve also has a large population of water voles and many unusual plants and invertebrates. Its noisiest resident is the marsh frog, introduced into Kent from mainland Europe in the 1930s and now spreading across southern England.

The RSPB visitor centre contains a cafŽ and shop and provides good views across the marshes and River Thames.