Bude Nature Reserves

Bude Marshes

A fantastic area of such abundant richness, you would never believe it was at the edge of Bude. The Local Nature Reserve provides a wonderful opportunity for locals and visitors to appreciate wildlife on their doorstep. Bude Marshes was declared a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in 1983 the first in Cornwall, in fact it had been identified as a wildlife amenity area as early as 1955! The reserve covers an area of 6ha (14.5ac) of mainly reed bed, wet grassland and willow carr. In 1999 the area was extended to 9.2ha (22.5ac) when the Environment Agency handed the management of an area of wet scrapes over to Cornwall Council. Pethericks Mill was designed to increase flood storage and the wildlife conservation value of the area as part of the Bude Flood Prevention Scheme. A footbridge (the Peter Truscott Bridge) was built in 2001 to give access from the canal towpath.

Cornwall Council organise several events focused on the Marshes, many of which are suitable for children.  Browse our events page for details.

The Management Plan

A new management plan has being drawn together for the Local Nature Reserve by  Cornwall Council, Members and local representatives. The plan covers both Petherick's Mill and Bude Marshes and includes a detailed work plan for the next five years.

Bude Marshes Local Nature Reserve Management

The management of the reserve aims to maintain an area of reed marsh and open grassland important for a wide variety of birds, mammals and insects.  Managing the Bude Marshes involves many areas of work - conservation, land and water management, recreation and site user requirements. In order to manage the reserve most effectively, for now and for the future we need to consider all these areas and we also need to work with other organisations and individuals to make it all work in an integrated way.

Did you know?

Not only is the Bude marsh a thriving nature reserve, it also act as one of Bude's natural flood defences! in flood situations it helps take surplus water from the River Neet! So one of rangers main priorities is to ensure that the waterways within the marshes are clear, and that the water levels are maintained accordingly. Seasonal work includes routine clearance of the main drainage, the vicarage road ditch, and from the three Petherick Mill outfall areas, allowing good movement of water in and out of the marsh.

Wildlife in The Bude Marshes

The main feature of the reserve is the reed bed, reed marsh is a particularly restricted habitat in Cornwall and Bude Marshes is the fourth largest area of reed in the county. This important area of reed provides valuable habitat for wintering migrant and breeding birds.The value of the reed marsh  is shown by the number of wintering water rail and snipe. It is also an important winter roost for pied wagtails. Migrant birds have included bittern, glossy ibis, Baillons crake, night heron, and gargany duck, as well as the more regular sandpipers, warblers, etc. The area is also important in summer when there are breeding sedge and reed warbler, moorhen, willow warbler, reed bunting and mallard.

Bude Marshes has a variety of other habitats, supporting many other diverse plants and animals. The main habitat is the reed bed however there is also a fringe of wet woodland with alder and willow trees and flag iris in early summer, areas of open water which support colonies of various dragonflies and damselflies and and damp and dry neutral grassland around the edge of the old helicopter landing pad, both of which support good populations of Bee orchids in the drier grasslands and numbers of Marsh orchids in the wetter vegetation. 

Otters in Bude

Otters are known to regularly use the area, the combination of the canal, river and marshes provides ideal habitat and foraging ground for otters.