John Weston

9 acres, Agreement

Grid ref: TM 266 245 (click for O/S map)

SSSI

Last updated 21/7/2006

This Essex Wildlife Trust reserve lies within the Naze public open space. It consists of blackthorn and bramble thickets, rough grassland and four ponds or 'scrapes', three of them excavated since the reserve was established. It is named after the late John Weston, a leading Essex naturalist who was warden of the reserve until his death in 1984.

Its nesting birds include lapwing, redshank, and sedge and reed warblers, the latter having colonised the reeds that were introduced to one of the new pools. It is an important landfall for migrants Ð for example the firecrest occurs regularly and red-backed shrike and barred warbler occasionally Ð and also attracts a good variety of winter visitors.

Notable among its flowering plants and grasses are parsley water-dropwort, slender thistle, pepper saxifrage, fenugreek and bush grass.

Being so close to the shore, it inevitably attracts shore-loving insects, including emperor moth, cream-spot tiger moth and saltern ear moths.

Beyond the reserve is the 1.5 mile long shingle beach, ending at Stone Point, which is an important nesting site for little tern and other shorebirds.

Management aims are to keep the ponds open; to stop scrub from invading rough grassland through cutting; and to keep scrub thickets dense through periodic coppicing.

Visiting

The John Weston reserve forms the north-western part of the public open space and can be reached via a nature trail established by the Trust which runs through it.

Several bus services run to The Naze via Walton station.

This site acts as a sanctuary although organised and casual visits are possible.