Filsham Reedbed Nature Reserve

A large reedbed with ditches and lagoons, set in a river valley floodplain

•   Filsham Reedbed Reserve Map

One of the largest reedbeds in Sussex, Filsham Reedbed sits at the southern end of the Combe Haven Valley, the green space between Bexhill and Hastings. The valley contains a range of wetland habitats and is an important resource for water and flood storage. Much of the valley is grazing marsh, but reed, reed-fen, and swamp communities are all present as well as areas of ancient woodland. This variety of habitats in turn supports a wide range of plant, invertebrate and bird life.

Owned by Hastings Borough Council and designated a Local Nature Reserve by them, Filsham Reedbed has been managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust since the mid 1970s. It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest, along with the rest of the valley, designated for the range of habitats it supports, in particular the alluvial meadows and fen, but also for the dragonfly fauna and bird assemblage. The reedbed would originally have been grazing meadows as is still present further up the valley. However, with the cessation of grazing, reed already present within the ditches was allowed to spread and the reedbed we see today developed quite naturally in just a few decades. Today we maintain this balance of habitats to provide optimum conditions for a wide range of species.

Restoration works - August / September 2024

We are currently undertaking some restoration work on the reedbeds at Filsham. This work will last for a couple of weeks. We have now decided to stop burning on this restoration project. So although there will be diggers on site for another two weeks we will be stacking all the cut material on the reserve rather than burning.

This is essential restoration work agreed with Natural England in order to improve the diversity of the reed beds and associated ditches. Unfortunately, we need to work at this time of year as the reedbeds often flood in Autumn and we are not able to get onto them. The works that we are undertaking at Filsham Reedbeds will enormously improve the habitat there and should allow for a much better visitor experience for locals in the coming years.

Filsham Reedbed Nature Reserve is free to visit, but we are only able to care for Filsham Reedbed with the support we receive from our members. Please consider becoming a member today.