An Inland Coast

It may be hard to believe, but we do have a slice of the seaside right here in Worcestershire. The Flashes, the southern pools of the Christopher Cadbury Wetland Reserve at Upton Warren in Wychbold hold a rare habitat. The underlying salt deposit, the Droitwich halite, was formed around 200 million years ago and subsequent underground brine extraction caused subsidence and consequent flooding. As a result, the saline pools of The Flashes and the salt marsh were born. Wendy Carter, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s Communications Manager, tells us more

The inland salt-marsh is a rare feature and one of only a handful in the whole of the UK; the salt-tolerant and salt-dependent plants are supported by brine from underground seepage. The salt marsh and saline pools attract an important mix of waterfowl and wading birds; it’s the significance of both the plants and birds that has resulted in the nature reserve’s designation as a Site of Special Scientific Importance.