Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve

Story

Brandon Marsh is an Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and nature reserve in Warwickshire, England. It is situated adjacent to the River Avon, near the village of Brandon, a few miles east of Coventry.The reserve is also the headquarters of the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. Formerly used for sand and gravel quarrying, the 92 hectare (228 acre) site is owned by French industrial company LaFarge Industries and is leased to the Trust.Today, Brandon Marsh is a mixture of flooded gravel pits, fen, scrubland, reedbeds and woodland, much of which is uncommon habitat for the local area. The site is particularly important for birdlife, with a wide range of breeding and wintering birds—234 different species had been recorded up to the end of 2015. The reserve also supports a variety of mammals and insects, over 500 species of plant, and more than 570 species of fungi. The nature reserve and Visitor Centre are open to the public seven days a week.