English nature reserve
Designations Official name Dersingham Bog Designated 12 September 1995 Reference no. 751[ 2]
Dersingham Bog is a 159.1-hectare (393-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Norfolk , England.[ 1] [ 3] Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2,[ 4] National Nature Reserve [ 5] Ramsar site [ 2] Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ,[ 6] Special Area of Conservation [ 7] Geological Conservation Review site.[ 8]
Location
Entrance to the reserve Dersingham Bog is near the West Norfolk Villages of Dersingham and Wolferton and is one of the few remaining wilderness areas left in this part of Norfolk which is otherwise dominated by intensive agriculture. The Reserve is part of the Sandringham Royal Estate.
Geology
The site lies on the north west Norfolk Greensand escarpment. It is notable for a rock dating from the Lower Cretaceous Period known as 'Dersingham Formation' which has been important in understanding the geology of the region.
Habitats and wildlife
Dersingham Bog contains three distinct habitats, mire , heath and woodland . Acid valley mire is found over much of the low-lying parts of the reserve where the ground is waterlogged for most of the year. Dersingham Bog contains the largest remaining example of this kind of habitat in East Anglia .
The mire's make-up of wet acid peat makes it ideal conditions for some rare and diverse species of plants such as bog asphodels (Narthecium ossifragum Drosera rotundifolia Rhynchospora alba cranberry . The mire also has some rare insects such as the black darter dragonfly (Sympetrum danae Acronicta menyanthidis glowworms . The mire lies on shallow peat and is bordered on one side by a steep escarpment containing large areas of dry heath and woodland which marks the edge of an ancient coastline . The woodland at Dersingham is quite recent and contains Scots pine , oak , sweet chestnut , sycamore and birch . The woodland glades attract birds such as redpoll , crossbill , long-eared owl , tree pipit , woodlark , shelduck , nightjar , and sparrowhawk .
Access
All of Dersingham is open access and there are many well-marked routes to follow which provide easy access for visitors to explore this wilderness. There are car parks at Wolferton and Scissors Cross, payment via RingGo app.
Management
The reserve is in the management of Natural England .
Memorial to John Denver
Dersingham Bog is the location of a bench which commemorates the life of American singer-songwriter and environmentalist John Denver . It was placed there by the Friends of John Denver UK in September 2006.
References
52°50′N 0°29′E / 52.83°N 0.48°E / 52.83; 0.48
Biological
Alderfen Broad Alderford Common Ant Broads and Marshes Aslacton Parish Land Badley Moor Barnham Cross Common Beeston Cliffs Beetley and Hoe Meadows Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fens Booton Common Boughton Fen Breckland Farmland Breckland Forest Breydon Water Bridgham and Brettenham Heaths The Brinks, Northwold Broad Fen, Dilham Bryant's Heath, Felmingham Bure Broads and Marshes Burgh Common and Muckfleet Marshes Buxton Heath Calthorpe Broad Cantley Marshes Castle Acre Common Cawston and Marsham Heaths Cockthorpe Common, Stiffkey Coston Fen, Runhall Cranberry Rough, Hockham Cranwich Camp Crostwick Marsh Damgate Marshes, Acle Decoy Carr, Acle Dereham Rush Meadow Dersingham Bog Didlington Park Lakes Dillington Carr Ducan's Marsh East Harling Common East Ruston Common East Walton and Adcock's Common East Winch Common East Wretham Heath Eaton Chalk Pit Edgefield Little Wood Elm Road Field, Thetford Felbrigg Woods Field Barn Heaths, Hilborough Flordon Common Forncett Meadows Foulden Common Foxley Wood Fritton Common, Morningthorpe Gawdyhall Big Wood, Harleston Geldeston Meadows Great Cressingham Fen Great Yarmouth North Denes Grime's Graves Gunton Park Lake Hall Farm Fen, Hemsby Halvergate Marshes Hardley Flood Hedenham Wood Hilgay Heronry Hockering Wood Holly Farm Meadow, Wendling Holt Lowes Honeypot Wood Hooks Well Meadows, Great Cressingham Horningtoft Wood Horse Wood, Mileham Hunstanton Cliffs Islington Heronry Kelling Heath Kenninghall and Banham Fens with Quidenham Mere Leziate, Sugar and Derby Fens Limpenhoe Meadows Lower Wood, Ashwellthorpe Ludham - Potter Heigham Marshes Mattishall Moor Middle Harling Fen Narborough Railway Embankment New Buckenham Common North Norfolk Coast Old Bodney Camp Old Buckenham Fen Ouse Washes Overstrand Cliffs Paston Great Barn Poplar Farm Meadows, Langley Potter and Scarning Fens, East Dereham Potter's Carr, Cranworth Priory Meadows, Hickling Pulham Market Big Wood Redgrave and Lopham Fens Ringstead Downs River Nar River Wensum Rosie Curston's Meadow, Mattishall Roydon Common Scoulton Mere Sea Mere, Hingham Sexton Wood Shallam Dyke Marshes, Thurne Shelfanger Meadows Sheringham and Beeston Regis Commons Shotesham Common Shotesham-Woodton Hornbeam Woods Sidestrand and Trimingham Cliffs Smallburgh Fen Snettisham Carstone Quarry Southrepps Common Stanford Training Area Stanley and Alder Carrs, Aldeby Stiffkey Valley Swangey Fen, Attleborough Swannington Upgate Common Swanton Novers Woods Sweetbriar Road Meadows, Norwich Syderstone Common Thetford Golf Course and Marsh Thompson Water, Carr and Common Tindall Wood, Ditchingham Trinity Broads Upper Thurne Broads and Marshes Upton Broad and Marshes Warham Camp The Wash Wayland Wood, Watton Weeting Heath Wells Chalk Pit Westwick Lakes Weybourne Cliffs Whitwell Common Winterton-Horsey Dunes Wiveton Downs Wretham Park Meres Yare Broads and Marshes Geological
