Barrow Haven Reedbed
East Coast
Barton-upon-Humber

The aquatic flora here is richer than in many of the other Humber Bank pits, and it welcomes more than 150 different species of bird through the year.

Barrow Haven Reedbed is one of the most important of the series of disused flooded clay pits on the Humber Bank. It's extensive reedbeds (Phragmites, known sometimes as Norfolk Reed) give to a rich aquatic flora, mare's-tail being a notable feature.
Patches of hawthorn scrub, bramble thicket and rough grassland with a pleasantly varied flora includes several species of orchid surrounding the water and reedbed areas.
More than 150 species of birds have been recorded of which 60 have been known to breed, including great crested grebe, pochard, tufted duck, water rail, bearded tit, and reed and sedge warblers. Bitterns bred until the 1960s and still occur occasionally as visitors in winter.

Accessibility Information

The main path around the reserve is hard surfaced and suitable for wheelchairs, but please note there are steps up to the bird hide.