Orford Ness National Nature Reserve

Listen to historian Bettany Hughes as she explores ten inspiring National Trust sites including Orford Ness. She is guided by our experts and investigates their deep-rooted connections to Europe and the wider world.

Visit some of the intriguing buildings you will pass on your walk and view displays about the history and ecology of the site. Use some as an elevated viewing platform.

Take waymarked trails through the unusual landscape. Follow your interests. Military history or nature. The choice varies with the seasons.

The Ness is an internationally important site for nature conservation. Breeding and migrating birds, specialised plants and other wildlife flourish in a rich mosaic of coastal habitats.

Did you work on the Ness or for any of the companies providing support services? Do you know anyone who did?

'So what else do you do when we've gone home?' We're often asked what we do when the site is closed, or what goes on off the visitor route or after our visitors have gone back to the safety of the mainland.

To protect our special places and wildlife and ensure our visitors are free to fully enjoy their experience, we carefully manage the use of drones on Orford Ness.

Here at Orford Ness we look after several different rare-breeds of sheep, where they play a vital role in conservation of habitats and the breeds themselves.

Major projects have been undertaken to improve the environment on Orford Ness for wildlife and visitors.

Orford Ness has been the home and inspiration for many art projects. Several sound recordings and videos have captured the unique atmosphere of the Ness including the latest programme from Channel 5.

The habitats on Orford Ness are very varied. Vegetated shingle to brackish lagoons, reed marshes to mud flats. These habitats are a haven for wildlife.

From delicate Chinese water deer and big brown hares to barn owls and birds of prey including falcons and marsh harriers, there's lots of wildlife to discover on a visit to the Ness.

How have the plants that live here adapted to survive the challenges of living in the salty atmosphere of the coast and the desert-like conditions of the shingle?