Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fen

Blo’ Norton and Thelnetham Fens lie on the Norfolk–Suffolk border where the Little Ouse river marks the county line. The 21.3-hectare site straddles two parishes, Blo’ Norton in Norfolk and Thelnetham in Suffolk. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and part of the Waveney and Little Ouse Valley Fens Special Area of Conservation. Thelnetham Fen is managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, while Blo’ Norton Fen is looked after by the Little Ouse Headwaters Project. The fens sit six miles west of Diss and fourteen miles north-east of Bury St Edmunds, beside the A1066 and A143 roads. The fens are internationally important for two rare plants, black bog rush and saw sedge. Wet areas support purple moor grass, fen orchid, devil’s bit scabious and several rare mosses. Drier patches carry reed, meadowsweet, hemp agrimony and purple loosestrife. Scrub and woodland patches contain sallow, alder, oak and ash. Birdlife includes snipe, grasshopper warbler and the protected Eurasian water shrew. Managed paths cross the site, including boardwalks and a footbridge over the Little Ouse. The Angles Way long-distance path runs through Thelnetham Fen. Traditional uses once included peat cutting and fuelwood gathering. Today the Little Ouse Headwaters Project restores wetland by cutting scrub and creating ponds.