Tom’s Tours and the Nature and Wildlife Group are joining forces to re-organise the shoot at the Ted Ellis Nature Reserve at Wheatfen that had to be cancelled back in September due to the covid-restrictions that imposed at that time by the UK Government.
With Norfolk placed in Tier 2 from 2nd December the Society has updated its Covid Guidance & Procedures to ensure that all events/shoots are covid secure. A copy of the latest guidance is available to download using the link below:
To attend the shoot members must have reserved their place using the Society’s On-line booking system and received a confirmation. Places may be reserved using the link below.
Members attending the shoot should meet in the car park at the entrance to the Reserve at least 10 minutes before noon to participate in the safety briefing before the start of the shoot. Both the car park and reserve are free.
Located on the banks of the River Yare, around eight miles southeast of Norwich, the Ted Ellis Nature Reserve is one of the most important parts of the Norfolk Broads. Encompassing the last remaining tidal marshes and carrs on the River Yare, the wild and remote area features reed beds, open fen, alder, and willow woodlands. There are also two small broads and a specially designed nature trail in the reserve.
Thought by some experts to be as environmentally important as Mount Everest and the giant redwood forests of America, the Ted Ellis Nature Reserve is a fantastic place for an afternoon stroll.
The route
Nature trails and boardwalks criss-cross the nature reserve, giving you a variety of routes to choose from. The most popular walk at the Ted Ellis Nature Reserve begins in the car park. From there, it meanders through woodlands to the banks of the River Yare before turning back towards Wheatfen Broad and Surlingham Wood.
In the summer months, extra paths are available in the reserve. These will take you even deeper into the heart of this ancient countryside and help you to get a deeper appreciation of the landscape.
Difficulty
Most of the paths within the Ted Ellis Nature reserve are flat and easy to navigate. However, some routes can become waterlogged, especially in the winter months or after periods of prolonged rain.
Points of interest
There are lots of things to see as you explore the beautiful Ted Ellis Nature Reserve. One of the first buildings you will see when you park up at the reserve is Wheatfen Cottage. Built as a pair of marshmen’s cottages, it’s been the home of the Ellis family since 1946.
The next point of interest you will come to is Old Mill Marsh. A traditionally cut litter fen, the fodder it produced was sent to London for cab horses until 1918. The marsh is incredibly rich in wildlife and is a great place to spot local plants and animals. If the summer path is open when you visit, you will be able to walk along the Eleven Bridges path. This tidal dyke brings water on and off Old Mill Marsh via a series of foot drains. Before returning to the car park you will also be able to enjoy views over Wheatfen Broad and Deep Waters
Facilities
There are very few facilities on offer at the Ted Ellis Nature Reserve itself. However, you will find a number of amenities in the surrounding area in the nearby village of Surlingham and just a couple of miles down the road in Rockland St Mary.
About Ted Ellis
Ted Ellis (1909-1986) was a writer and broadcaster who was one of the most-well known and respected naturalists in East Anglia and beyond.
Born in Guernsey of Norfolk parents who returned to Great Yarmouth in 1920, he was the Keeper of Natural History at the Castle Museum in Norwich from 1928-1956 and for forty years he lived with his family at Wheatfen Broad, Surlingham in a remote cottage amongst 130 acres of woodland and fen. Visit the East Anglian Film Archive and watch this 1976 clip to learn more about Ted.
Although he was a naturalist with a national reputation and his research was highly respected by the academic world, he was a man who had the ability to communicate his enthusiasm to everyone.
Ted sadly died in 1986, leaving not only a legacy of natural records and fascinating articles, but living proof that being inspired by nature is one of the most wonderful things we can experience.
Such a man deserves to be remembered, and so the Ted Ellis Trust was founded to do just that by preserving Wheatfen, the nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest that Ted spent so much time in throughout his life.