Stanford Warren nature reserve

Stanford-le-Hope

Map Ref:  TQ 687 812. 
Public Transport - About 20 minutes walk from Stanford station.  Turn right outside the station, then right down Wharf Road.  You meet the footpath after crossing under the railway.
Dogs restricted to certain areas or to certain specified times.

Directions
Access from London Road in Stanford-le-Hope - off the A1013, which runs alongside the A13.  Turn south down Butts Lane then left into Mucking Wharf Road.  Please park considerately by the former church at the start of the footpath.

This 41 acre Thames-side reserve consists of one of the largest reedbeds in Essex, created by gravel extraction in the 1920s, together with areas of marsh and rough grassland.

Designation:
Site of Special Scientific Interest

What to look for:
In spring and summer the reedbeds are full of birds which include Reed Buntings, Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers, all of which breed.  Cuckoos regularly use the warblers as hosts for their eggs.  Water Rail breed here as well but they are very shy, creeping quietly around in the reeds. 

Winter brings in Bearded Tits, Grey Wagtail and Snipe - best seen along the Hassenbrooke, a small river that bisects the reserve and crosses under the footpath. 

Access
Accessible at all times.  Please keep to the marked footpaths which provide good views over the whole area.

Did you know?
Common Lizard, Grass Snake and Adder frequent the rough grassland, and Harvest Mice nest among the reeds.