Titchfield Haven
Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Location | Hampshire |
---|---|
Grid reference | SU 538 033[1] |
Interest | Biological |
Area | 134.5 hectares (332 acres)[1] |
Notification | 1983[1] |
Location map | Magic Map |
Titchfield Haven is a 134.5-hectare (332-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Gosport in Hampshire.[1][2] Most of it is a local nature reserve[3][4] and a national nature reserve.[5] It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site[6] and Special Protection Area.[7]
History
Until late in the 16th century, the River Meon was navigable as far as Titchfield, which at that time was a significant port. However silting started to restrict the passage of ships, and in order to maintain Titchfield's status as a port, the Earl of Southampton proposed that a canal should be constructed. The Titchfield Canal opened in 1611 and was only the second canal existing in Britain at the time. Unfortunately the canal also suffered from silting and the sea trade moved to nearby Southampton and Portsmouth. As part of the construction of the canal, the outfall of the River Meon to the sea was dammed, creating the wetlands that now form the nature reserve.[8]
Ecology
This was formerly a tidal estuary, but one way valves block salt water and it is now freshwater river and marshes, wet meadows bisected by ditches, and fen. It is important for wetland breeding birds, such as bearded reedlings, sedge warblers and reed warblers.[9]
The site is managed to provide ideal conditions at different times of the year, with water levels lowered at the end of the waterfowl breeding season in order to expose food-rich mud to encourage migrating birds.[10] Other areas of water are cleared in order to attract dragonflies and damselflies.[11] Frogbit and flowering rush are also encouraged to grow because of this water management. Other flora include slender bird's-foot-trefoil and marsh mallow.[12] The site is a winter refuge for ducks, geese and wading birds and avocet are known to use the location as a breeding ground in the summer months.[13] The Walkway Pond is home to dragonflies, damselflies, moorhen, mallard and a variety of warblers. Water voles have been reintroduced to the reserve and the River Meon, as part of a project by South Downs National Park, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and The Environment Agency.[14] The reserve has a number of hides, Cottage Hide, Meon Shore Hide, Knights Bank Hide, Meadow Hide, Pumfrett Hide, Spurgin Hide, Suffern Hide and West Hide, from which it is possible to observe the local wildlife, which includes fox and deer as well as waterfowl.[12][15]
Amenities
The site is open seven days a week, including Bank Holidays (excluding 25 and 26 December) 9.30am - 5pm during the summer and 9.30am - 4pm in the winter. Admission is by ticket, available from the Titchfield Haven Visitor Centre. Car parking is available close to the Reserve at the Hove To Car Park and also on the Sea Front - Chargeable from 10:00 to 18:00. The site has toilets (with wheelchair access), a tea room, a shop and an exhibition in the Visitor Centre.[12] In 2022, Hampshire County Council declared its intention to close and sell the visitor centre.[16]
References
- ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Titchfield Haven". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Map of Titchfield Haven". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Titchfield Haven". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ "Map of Titchfield Haven". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Titchfield Haven". National Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Solent and Southampton Water". Ramsar Site. Natural England. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Solent and Southampton Water". Special Protection Areas. Natural England. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ Hampshire County Council (2006). Activities at Titchfield Haven - River Study Archived 27 April 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 March 2006.
- ^ "Titchfield Haven citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Scrapes". www.hants.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Darters Dip". www.hants.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ a b c "Titchfield Haven". www.fareham.gov.uk. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Cottage Hide". www.hants.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Pond". www.hants.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Explore the Reserve". www.hants.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Thousands object to Titchfield Haven visitor centre closure plans". BBC News. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
50°49′37″N 1°14′17″W / 50.827°N 1.238°W / 50.827; -1.238
- v
- t
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- Alresford Pond
- Ashford Hill Woods and Meadows
- Avon Valley (Bickton to Christchurch)
- Baddesley Common
- Basingstoke Canal
- Beacon Hill, Warnford
- Bentley Station Meadow
- Bere Mill Meadows
- Binswood
- Blackwater Valley
- Botley Wood and Everett's and Mushes Copses
- Boulsbury Wood
- Bourley and Long Valley
- Bramshill
- Bramshott and Ludshott Commons
- Bransbury Common
- Breamore Marsh
- Brickworth Down and Dean Hill
- Brockley Warren
- Broughton Down
- Browndown
- Broxhead and Kingsley Commons
- Burghclere Beacon
- Burton Common
- Butser Hill
- Butter Wood
- Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Commons
- Catherington Down
- Cheesefoot Head
- Chichester Harbour
- Chilbolton Common
- Coombe Wood and The Lythe
- Coulters Dean
- Crab Wood
- Danebury Hill
- Dibden Bay
- East Aston Common
- Ebblake Bog
- Eelmoor Marsh
- Eling and Bury Marshes
- Fleet Pond
- Fletchwood Meadows
- Foxlease and Ancells Meadows
- Galley Down Wood
- Gilkicker Lagoon
- Greywell Fen
- Greywell Tunnel
- Hazeley Heath
- Highclere Park
- Hook Common and Bartley Heath
- Hook Heath Meadows
- Hurst Castle and Lymington River Estuary
- Hythe to Calshot Marshes
- Itchen Navigation
- Ladle Hill
- Langstone Harbour
- Lee-on-The Solent to Itchen Estuary
- Lincegrove and Hackett's Marshes
- Lower Test Valley
- Lye Heath Marsh
- Lymington River
- Lymington River Reedbeds
- Mapledurwell Fen
- Martin and Tidpit Downs
- Micheldever Spoil Heaps
- Moorgreen Meadows
- The Moors, Bishop's Waltham
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- The New Forest
- Noar Hill
- Norley Copse and Meadow
- North Solent
- Odiham Common with Bagwell Green and Shaw
- Old Burghclere Lime Quarry
- Old Winchester Hill
- Pamber Forest and Silchester Common
- Peake Wood
- Poors Common
- Porton Down
- Portsdown
- Portsmouth Harbour
- Quarley Hill Fort
- Ratlake Meadows
- River Avon System
- River Itchen
- River Test
- Ron Ward's Meadow With Tadley Pastures
- Roydon Woods
- Rushmore and Conholt Downs
- Selborne Common
- Shortheath Common
- Sidley Wood
- Sinah Common
- Southampton Common
- Sowley Pond
- St. Catherine's Hill
- Stockbridge Common Marsh
- Stockbridge Down
- Stockbridge Fen
- Titchfield Haven
- Toyd Down and Quarry
- Trodds Copse
- Upper Greensand Hangers: Empshott to Hawkley
- Upper Greensand Hangers: Wyck to Wheatley
- Upper Hamble Estuary and Woods
- Waltham Chase Meadows
- Warblington Meadow
- Warnborough Green
- Wealden Edge Hangers
- West Minley Meadow
- West Woodhay Down
- Wick Wood and Worldham Hangers
- The Wild Grounds
- Woolmer Forest
- Butser Hill
- Downend Chalk Pit
- Dunbridge Pit
- Duncroft Farm Pit
- Heath Brow
- Highcliffe to Milford Cliffs
- Hurst Castle and Lymington River Estuary
- Lee-on-The Solent to Itchen Estuary
- Lymington River
- The New Forest
- North Solent