Wolla Bank Pit
Parish: Chapel St Leonards
OS: 122 • GR: TF 555747 • Map ref: 46
3.90 hectares (9.60acres) • Leasehold 1959
Habitat type: Marsh/Wetland
Location and Access
Close to the sea wall about 1.6 km (1 mile) south of Anderby Creek, the reserve lies on the west side of the road opposite the entrance to the Wolla Bank car park. Visitors are requested not to walk round the pit to avoid disturbing wildfowl: good views can be had by walking down the short path from the road.
Description and Management
The flooded pits are a result of excavations for clay, which was needed for the repair of the sea wall following the floods of 1953. There are extensive beds of reed and sea club-rush, with great reedmace, fennel pondweed, wild celery, sea arrowgrass and water-crowfoot. There are also colonies of common spotted-orchid. Many duck visit the reserve in winter, including tufted duck, goldeneye and pochard. Bewick's and whooper swans, red-necked, slavonian and great crested grebes, purple heron and penduline tit have all occurred.
Snipe are frequent visitors in winter, when bittern and bearded tit are occasional visitors. In the breeding season, reed and sedge warblers (and occasionally grasshopper warblers), reed bunting, and great crested and little grebe all nest. Many rare migrants have also been seen. The entrance track made of chalk has a range of chalkland flora and many butterflies, such as common blue, small copper and wall. Dragonflies, such as migrant hawker, also occur. The Wolla Bank Reedbed lies on the opposite side of the road.
