First King’s Series National Nature Reserve on Lincolnshire coast
Natural England's new Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve in new King’s Series supports nature recovery and connects people with nature.
Sunrise. Credit: Natural England
- Site covers 33 square kilometres along almost 30 kilometres of the Greater Lincolnshire coast making it the ninth largest National Nature Reserve in the country.
Natural England has today (Monday, 18 September) launched a new National Nature Reserve on the Greater Lincolnshire coast which marks the first in the new King’s Series of National Nature Reserves committed to enhancing biodiversity and nature recovery while connecting people with nature.
The Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve (LCCNNR) covers 33 square kilometres along almost 30 kilometres of the Greater Lincolnshire coast containing a rich variety of sand dunes, salt marshes, mudflats and freshwater marshes which are of international importance.
The LCCNNR brings together the existing Donna Nook and Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes National Nature Reserves, adding a further 2350 hectares of land managed for nature conservation, supporting many breeding and over-wintering birds, natterjack toads, special plants and insects. The new site is now two thirds larger, making it the ninth largest National Nature Reserve of the 220 in England.
National Nature Reserve status is given to the very best nature conservation sites in England and is recognition that the land is nationally important and will be managed in perpetuity for its wildlife and geology. Many National Nature Reserves are managed – like the LCCNNR - by multiple parties who are committed to working together towards a shared future vision for the nature reserve.
At LCCNNR Natural England will work alongside Lincolnshire County Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, Ministry of Defence, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Environment Agency to share skills, knowledge and resources for long term commitment to the site. A range of organisations has joined together to launch the LCCNNR, including the Humber Nature Partnership with a common goal and commitment to nature, science and people by providing access to green space and wildlife.
The percentage of Lincolnshire population with easy access to nature is one of the lowest in the country. The new reserve is close to large urban populations, with Grimsby and Cleethorpes to the north, Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea to the south, and Louth and Lincoln to the west. Some of the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England are within walking distance of the reserve.
The LCCNNR will help to unlock more opportunity for local people to access and experience the coastline for their own health and wellbeing, supporting communities to get active, providing education opportunities or learning new skills through volunteering, or to simply recharge in nature.
Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said:
“Today’s declaration of the new Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve is a landmark moment for nature recovery in England, not just in Lincolnshire but also nationally.
“Not only is it a visible demonstration of ambitious targets being translated into practical action, but also a fine example of how broad partnerships can be harnessed for nature recovery at scale.
“This area of coastline is of international importance due to habitats that support hundreds of thousands of birds, rare natterjack toads and a host of special insects and plants.
“This newly expanded National Nature Reserve will enhance the nature and biodiversity of the Greater Lincolnshire coast making it a bigger, better and more joined up area for wildlife. This reserve also presents opportunities for local people to connect with amazing wildlife while also providing an attractive destination for tourists to visit, bringing benefits to the economy too.”
The Lincolnshire Coast has a range of important habitat for species including birds and mammals. There will be five priority habitats within the National Nature Reserve boundary: intertidal mudflats, coastal saltmarsh, coastal sand dunes, coastal and floodplain grazing marsh, and saline lagoons.
Wildlife benefitting from the reserve include notable winter assemblage of wading birds and wildfowl and a range of breeding species in spring and summer. Special species include redshank, whitethroat, golden plover, natterjack toads, grey seals, and a diverse range of plants and insects such as the marsh moth – one of only two places in the country where they are found. The saltmarsh and lowland wet grasslands are very important in delivering natural solutions to manage climate change.
It is also a popular destination for visitors and the new National Nature Reserve partnership will be promoting responsible access and enjoyment of the sites. The reserve is close to the resort of Cleethorpes and the King Charles III England Coast Path runs through the site. The site will complement the area’s already fascinating cultural and historical appeal with its evidence of shipwrecks, medieval landscapes, smuggling and salt making, and its inns and alehouses.
The site is the first in the new King’s Series of National Nature Reserves and one of the best places for nature to thrive in England. The series will see the creation of five major National Nature Reserve declarations every year for the next five years - 25 in total.
Read more about the power of National Nature Reserves in this blog by Tony Juniper.
Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said:
“With its sand dunes and salt marsh, our coastline is an internationally important landscape for wildlife. We’re lucky to have it on our doorstep.
“This is a first for North East Lincolnshire and the new National Nature Reserve provides an excellent opportunity for Cleethorpes to attract more visitors throughout the year and connect with nature.
“We’re proud to be working with Natural England and our other partners to create this new National Nature Reserve and look after it for generations to come.”
Cllr Colin Davie, executive member for environment at Lincolnshire County Council, said:
“Lincolnshire is delighted to be home to the first of the new King’s Series of National Nature Reserves. By joining up and extending the existing nature reserves to form the vast Lincolnshire Coronation Coast, we’re adding to the rich tapestry of conservation projects that line the east coast between the Humber and The Wash. By working together we’re not only protecting and enhancing our unique habitats and natural environment, but we’re allowing more visitors to discover the unspoilt beauty of this stretch of coastline.” Paul Learoyd, chief executive, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust said:
“This exciting new declaration demonstrates what can be achieved by working in partnership across an entire landscape. From the first steps that the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust made to protect this section of the Lincolnshire coast in the 1950s, working with others has been key. Volunteers are also part of this partnership giving hundreds of hours annually to record wildlife, help manage habitats and engage with the public especially at the Donna Nook grey seal colony.”
Michael Copleston, director of RSPB England, said:
“The diverse coastline of Lincolnshire is home to some of our most special wildlife and habitats. The Humber and The Wash make up the UK’s most important estuary for wild birds, with hundreds of thousands of migratory birds passing through, right at this very moment, on epic journeys across the world. We’re extremely pleased to be part of this project, which includes our nature reserve at RSPB Tetney Marshes, and forms part of the East Coast Wetlands, which is currently under consideration for UNESCO World Heritage status.
“By working together with Natural England and the other partners, we believe this is a great step to restoring biodiversity along the East Coast and providing more people with a great way to connect with nature.”
Mike Green, chief executive, Defence Infrastructure Organisation, said:
“There are many areas of the Defence Training Estate that we manage where we know wildlife is thriving and it’s great to be part of the creation of this ‘super’ National Nature Reserve, a wider collaborative move to protect and preserve this stunning coastline.
“Our ecology team and training safety officers at Donna Nook have been involved in this project for almost two years. Parts of Donna Nook are already designated as an NNR so the new designation will not impact operations on the military training range there. We have built up a good relationship with Natural England, who understand the importance of the range both in terms of military training and nature conservation.
“Preserving and protecting the natural habits that form part of the training estate we manage is very important to us. In addition to enabling the wildlife to thrive, we are committed to keeping training areas open to the public ensuring they can access these wonderful havens when and where it is safe to do so.”
Deborah Campbell, Area Coastal Flood Risk Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “With the protection and enhancement of the environment at the heart of the Environment Agency, we are delighted that our Donna Nook Management Realignment Site has been included within the new National Nature Reserve. Working in conjunction with Natural England and our other partners, we are all able to achieve so much more for the environment.”
Partnership working
A fundamental part of the LCCNNR is working with partners to share knowledge, resources and good practice to be able to deliver greater outcomes for biodiversity.
The purpose of the partnership is to realise the vision of the LCCNNR and achieve more through working together, so that the whole National Nature Reserve benefits from each partner’s knowledge and skills and from the efficiencies of working together.
Approved Bodies
National Nature Reserves are an excellent way for partners to work together and effect environmental improvements. But only Approved Bodies can join the management of these reserves. To become an Approved Body, the applicant must demonstrate a record of conservation management to prove they can manage a National Nature Reserve in the long term before their application is approved by Natural England. Individuals cannot become an Approved Body.
The following are approved bodies in the LCCNNR:
- North East Lincolnshire Council is one of several local authorities who has worked in partnership with Natural England, other organisations and landowners to declare the Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve. Our role as a responsible authority is to ensure, in partnership, some of the most important species and habitats across Lincolnshire are protected and managed so that they can be preserved and enhanced for future generations. We will work with our partners to ensure the Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve is a place where people are at the centre of nature conservation.
- Lincolnshire County Council has, since its creation in 1974, had a history of enhancing and protecting the unique natural environment of the Lincolnshire coast by working with partners to manage significant areas of land we own or lease. This includes parts of the existing Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes National Nature Reserve, which will now form part the Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve. Bringing all landowners and organisations together allows us to use our collaborative knowledge, expertise and connections with local communities, to benefit wildlife, residents and visitors alike.
Other partners
The RSPB is the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, inspiring everyone to give nature a home. Together with our partners, we protect threatened birds and wildlife so our towns, coast and countryside will teem with life once again. We play a leading role in BirdLife International, a worldwide partnership of nature conservation organisations.
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust has a well-established track record of coastal conservation. Gibraltar Point was established as a nature reserve in 1948, the year that the Trust was founded, and has managed Donna Nook since 1979. In the 1950s and 60s, the Trust was instrumental in saving Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes from development and, in 1956, arranged the first management agreement with the Ministry of Defence on 170 acres of dunes and freshwater marsh.
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust covers the whole of the historic county of Lincolnshire - from the Humber to the Wash, managing nearly 100 nature reserves. It is one of 46 similar Wildlife Trusts covering the UK which are affiliated to the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. Lincolnshire is one of the oldest Trusts in the country, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is the estate expert for the Ministry of Defence, supporting the UK Armed Forces to enable military capability by planning, building, maintaining, and servicing infrastructure. Our responsibilities include acting as steward of the Defence estate, becoming an expert in sustainability, climate change and the environment, and providing advice that leads to environmentally sound infrastructure decisions.
The DIO Ecology team, alongside DIO’s Training Safety Officers at Donna Nook, have worked closely with Natural England and other stakeholders to ensure that the new National Nature Reserve will bring increased collaboration and consistency of environmental management, without impacting on operations at RAF Donna Nook, an active Air Weapons Range situated within the nature reserve.
The Donna Nook Air Weapons Range comprises approximately 885 hectares of intertidal sand flats, saltmarsh, and sand dunes, and approximately 3,200 hectares of sea area. As well as being home to historical military activity, the site, including inland and beach locations, is currently used for live firing and tactical training activities.
Visitors should be aware that access to the bombing area is strictly prohibited when red flags are flying. However, most of the dunes area is accessible at all times.
If you are planning to visit Donna Nook Air Weapons Range, please follow these simple steps:
- Check live firing times on GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/military-low-flying-air-weapons-ranges-activity
- Stick to public footpaths and bridleways
- Take notice of red flags, red lights and signage which indicate access is prohibited
- Never touch military debris on the ground. Report it for safe removal
The Environment Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body set up under the Environment Act 1995 to take an integrated approach to environmental protection and enhancement in England. It has major responsibilities in flood management, water resources and quality, climate change, land quality, chemicals, pollution prevention and control, waste, conservation and biodiversity, fisheries conservation, air quality and navigation.
National Nature Reserves
National Nature Reserves are open to the public, and we welcome all our visitors to connect with nature and be inspired by our fantastic wildlife, habitats, geology and landscapes.
When visiting our reserves please follow the Countryside Code and the Marine Code to enable everyone to enjoy, value and respect England’s most important places for nature.
National Nature Reserves were established to protect some of our most important habitats, species and geology, and to provide ‘outdoor laboratories’ for research. Most National Nature Reserves offer great opportunities to schools, specialist interest groups and the public to experience wildlife at first hand and to learn more about nature conservation.
There are currently 220 National Nature Reserves in England with a total area of over 107,000 hectares - approximately 0.8% of the country’s land surface. The largest is The Wash covering almost 8,800 hectares, while Dorset’s Horn Park Quarry is the smallest at 0.32 hectares. See:
- details of the reserves and their special features in the county lists
- the location of England’s NNRs on the MAGIC website
Natural England manages about two thirds of England’s National Nature Reserves. The remaining reserves are managed by organisations approved by Natural England, for example, the National Trust, Forestry England, RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and local authorities.
The top ten largest National Nature Reserves
| The Wash NNR | 8,779.68 hectares |
| Moor House-Upper Teesdale NNR | 8,669.74 |
| Somerset Wetlands NNR | 6,138.92 |
| Ribble Estuary NNR | 5,231.22 |
| Kielderhead NNR | 3,801.55 |
| Holkham NNR | 3,531.04 |
| Lindisfarne NNR | 3,408.34 |
| Purbeck Heaths NNR | 3,331.13 |
| Lincolnshire Coronation Coast NNR | 3,318.02 |
| Wild Ennerdale NNR | 3,032.80 |
The King’s Series of National Nature Reserves
Natural England will leave a lasting public legacy for people and nature by creating the King’s Series of National Nature Reserves to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.
As Prince of Wales, His Majesty expressed a deep love and concern for England’s wildlife, natural and rural places, frequently reflecting on his love of walking and its role in promoting a healthy mind and body.
As the government’s focus moves on from an era of nature conservation to nature recovery to create spaces for wildlife to thrive, this new series showcases our ambition for bigger, better and more connected spaces for nature – building on those declared in the reign of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.