View source for Breydon Water

{{Short description|UK Site of Special Scientific Interest}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox SSSI
|image = Breydon-north.jpg
|image_caption = Breydon's western end at the [[River Yare]] confluence as viewed from [[Burgh Castle]]
|name = Breydon Water
|aos = Norfolk, England
|interest = Biological
|gridref = {{gbmappingsmall|TG 493 072}}<ref name=dsv/>
|area = {{convert|514.4|ha|acre|abbr=off}}<ref name=dsv/>
|notifydate = 1987<ref name=dsv/>
|map = [http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271000454%27  ''Magic Map''] 
}}
{{Designation list
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_offname = Breydon Water
| designation1_date = 29 March 1996
| designation1_number = 821<ref>{{Cite web|title=Breydon Water|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/821|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}

'''Breydon Water''' is a {{convert|  514.4|ha|acre|abbr=off|adj=on}} biological [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] at [[Great Yarmouth]], [[Norfolk|Norfolk, England]].<ref name="dsv">{{cite web|url=   https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1000454&SiteName=&countyCode=29&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea=|title=Designated Sites View: Breydon Water  | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 6 June 2018}}</ref><ref name="map">{{cite web|url=http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271000454%27 |title=Map of Breydon Water|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date=  6 June 2018}}</ref> It is a [[Local Nature Reserve]],<ref>{{cite web|url=  https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteLNRDetail.aspx?SiteCode=L1008804&SiteName=&countyCode=29&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title= Designated Sites View:  Breydon Water  |series=Local Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England |access-date= 21 May 2018}}</ref> a [[Ramsar site]]<ref name="breyram">{{cite web|url=https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=UK11008&SiteName=&countyCode=29&responsiblePerson=&unitId=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea=   |title=Designated Sites View:  Breydon Water | series= Ramsar Site|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 25 May 2018}}</ref> and a [[Special Protection Area]].<ref name="breyspa">{{cite web|url=  https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=UK9009181&SiteName=&countyCode=29&responsiblePerson=&unitId=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Breydon Water  | series= Special Protection Area|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 25 May 2018}}</ref> It is part of the Berney Marshes and Breydon Water nature reserve, which is managed by the [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds]] (RSPB).<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/berney-marshes-breydon-water |title= Berney Marshes and Breydon Water |publisher=Royal Society for the Protection of Birds| access-date= 6 June 2018}}</ref>

It is a large stretch of sheltered [[estuary]]. It is at the gateway to [[The Broads]] river system on the eastern edge of [[Halvergate Marshes]]. It is the [[United Kingdom|UK]]'s largest protected [[wetland]]. It is {{convert|5|km|mi|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} long and more than {{convert|1.5|km|mi|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} wide in places.

Breydon Water is overlooked at the southern end by the remains of the Roman [[Saxon Shore]] fort at [[Burgh Castle Roman Site|Burgh Castle]]. Centuries ago, Breydon Water would have been one large estuary facing the sea. At the western end the water may be considered to start at the confluence of the [[River Yare]] and [[River Waveney]]; smaller sources including The Fleet flow in from the surrounding marshland. Safe passage for boats is indicated by red and green marker posts. Unlike most of the navigable waterways in the Norfolk Broads, Breydon Water is not subject to a speed limit.

At the east end of Breydon Water the river returns to a narrow channel, passing under [[Breydon Bridge]] after which it is joined by the [[River Bure]] then under Haven Bridge and Herring Bridge from where it is {{convert|2.7|km|mi|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} through the [[Great Yarmouth Outer Harbour|harbour]] into the [[North Sea]].

==Features==
At low tide there are vast areas of mudflats and saltings, all teeming with birds. Since the mid-80s, Breydon Water has been a [[nature reserve]] in the care of the RSPB. It has been a popular shooting area for centuries, and the shooting continues, but on a very much reduced scale.

In the winter, large numbers of wading birds and wildfowl use it to overwinter, including 12,000 [[Eurasian golden plover|golden plover]]s, 12,000 [[European wigeon|wigeon]]s, 32,000 [[northern lapwing|lapwing]]s and tens of thousands of [[Bewick's swan]]s. Other species that have been noted there include [[dunlin]], [[sanderling]], [[Eurasian whimbrel]], several (escaped) [[flamingo]]s, [[pied avocet]]s and on one occasion a [[glossy ibis]].

There is a bird observation hide at the east end of Breydon Water, on the north shore, looking out towards a breeding platform used mainly by [[common tern]]s. Other breeding species include [[common shelduck]]s, [[northern shoveler]]s, [[Eurasian oystercatcher]]s and [[western yellow wagtail|yellow wagtail]]s.

Naturalist Arthur Henry Patterson (1857–1935), who published under the pseudonym "John Knowlittle", extensively documented the wildlife of Breydon and the disappearing lifestyles of the boatmen, wildfowlers and fishermen who made a living from the estuary.<ref name=Patterson>Extracts from his numerous works are available in 'Scribblings of a Yarmouth Naturalist' by Beryl Tooley, his great-granddaughter ({{ISBN|0-9549048-0-X}}  published 2004).</ref>

Short sections of the [[Wherryman's Way]] and [[Weavers' Way]] long-distance paths follow the northern bank of the estuary from Yarmouth to [[Berney Arms]], a distance of about 5 miles.  Breydon Water is the site of events in [[Arthur Ransome]]'s popular [[Swallows and Amazons series|''Swallows and Amazons'' series]] book, ''[[Coot Club]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.norfolkbroads.com/ Norfolk Broads] 
* [http://www.literarynorfolk.co.uk/breydon_water.htm Breydon Water Literary Links]
* [http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/berneybreydon/about.asp RSPB Berney Marshes and Breydon Water]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180817123107/http://www.wherrymansway.net/ Wherryman's Way long distance walk]

{{commons category|Breydon Water}}

{{SSSIs Norfolk }}
{{Local Nature Reserves in Norfolk}}
{{coord|52|36|18|N|01|40|57|E|type:waterbody_region:GB|display=title}}

[[Category:Estuaries of England]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in England]]
[[Category:Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in England]]
[[Category:Norfolk Broads]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Norfolk]]
[[Category:Areas of Great Yarmouth]]
[[Category:Local Nature Reserves in Norfolk]]