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Arger Fen

Site of Special Scientific Interest
Arger Fen within Suffolk
Location	Suffolk
Grid reference	TL933356
Coordinates	51°59′10″N 0°49′05″E / 51.986°N 0.818°E / 51.986; 0.818
Interest	Biological
Area	49.7 hectares (0.50 km; 0.19 sq mi)
Notification	1986
Location map	Magic Map

Arger Fen is a 49.7-hectare (123-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) south-east of Sudbury in Suffolk, England. The site occupies two separate areas. The 17.6-hectare (43-acre) Arger Fen Local Nature Reserve is part of the larger eastern block, and contains part of the 21-hectare (52-acre) Tiger Hill Local Nature Reserve, along with part of the 110-hectare (270-acre) Arger Fen and Spouse's Vale, a nature reserve managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. The site lies in the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

The site is made up of a mix of woodland and meadow habitats with much of the woodland believed to be ancient in origin. The underlying geology is a mixture of sand and gravel banks and clay soils, producing a mix of habitat types, including wet fen type habitats at lower levels and dry grasslands on acidic soils on hill tops. It is one of only two known areas of ancient woodland in Eastern England which feature wild cherry (Prunus avium).

Badgers are found on the reserve in a number of active setts. Other rare fauna include the hazel dormouse and barbastelle bat. In 2012 the reserve, which has ash trees at least 300 years old, was identified as a site of ash dieback and in 2013 it became a research site for Forestry Commission scientists studying genetic resistance to the Chalara fungus which causes the disease.

There are onsite car parking facilities as well as two-way marked trails, including areas of board walk. The trust has attempted to encourage the growth of the dormouse population, partly by expanding the area of land it owns at Arger Fen.

References

1. "Designated Sites View: Arger Fen". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
2. "Map of Arger Fen". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
3. "Arger Fen". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
4. "Map of Arger Fen". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
5. "Tiger Hill". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
6. "Map of Tiger Hill". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
7. ^ "Arger Fen & Spouse's Vale". Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 26 April 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
8. "Wildlife at Arger Fen & Spouse's Vale". Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
9. ^ "Arger Fen" (PDF). SSSI citation. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
10. "Ash dieback: Fears realised for ancient Arger Fen wood". BBC News website. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
11. "Ash dieback disease to be studied at Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserve". BBC News website. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
12. "Suffolk Wildlife Trust appeal to buy land for dormice". BBC Suffolk news website. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2013.

v t e Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Suffolk
Biological	Abbey Wood, Flixton Alde–Ore Estuary Arger Fen Bangrove Wood, Ixworth Barking Woods Barnby Broad and Marshes Barnham Heath Berner's Heath Bixley Heath Black Ditches, Cavenham Blaxhall Heath Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fens Bradfield Woods Breckland Farmland Breckland Forest Brent Eleigh Woods Bugg's Hole Fen, Thelnetham Burgate Wood Cavendish Woods Cavenham–Icklingham Heaths Cherry Hill and The Gallops, Barton Mills Chippenhall Green Combs Wood Cornard Mere Crag Pit, Sutton Cransford Meadow Deadman's Grave, Icklingham Deben Estuary Dew's Ponds Edwardstone Woods Elmsett Park Wood Eriswell Low Warren Fakenham Wood and Sapiston Great Grove Fox Fritillary Meadow Foxhole Heath Freston and Cutler's Woods with Holbrook Park Frithy and Chadacre Woods The Gardens, Great Ashfield Gipping Great Wood Glemsford Pits The Glen Chalk Caves, Bury St Edmunds Gosbeck Wood Gromford Meadow Groton Wood Gypsy Camp Meadows, Thrandeston Hay Wood, Whepstead Horringer Court Caves High House Meadows, Monewden Hintlesham Woods Hopton Fen How Hill Track Iken Wood Ipswich Heaths Kentwell Woods Knettishall Heath Lackford Lakes Lakenheath Poor's Fen Lakenheath Warren Landguard Common Laurel Farm Meadow Leiston - Aldeburgh Lineage Wood & Railway Track, Long Melford Lingwood Meadows Little Blakenham Pit Little Heath, Barnham London Road Industrial Estate, Brandon Lordswell Field Maidscross Hill Major Farm Meadow Metfield Meadow Mickfield Meadow Middle Wood, Offton Milden Thicks Minsmere–Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Moat Farm Meadows Monewden Meadows Nacton Meadows Newbourne Springs Newmarket Heath Norton Wood Orwell Estuary Over and Lawn Woods Pakefield to Easton Bavents Pakenham Meadows Pashford Poor's Fen, Lakenheath Potton Hall Fields, Westleton RAF Lakenheath Redgrave and Lopham Fens Rex Graham Reserve Riverside House Meadow Sandlings Forest Sinks Valley, Kesgrave Sizewell Marshes Snape Warren Sotterley Park Sprat's Water and Marshes, Carlton Colville Stallode Wash, Lakenheath Stanton Woods Staverton Park and The Thicks, Wantisden Stour Estuary Sutton and Hollesley Heaths Thetford Heaths Thorpe Morieux Woods Titsal Wood, Shadingfield Trundley and Wadgell's Wood, Great Thurlow Tunstall Common Wangford Warren and Carr Weather and Horn Heaths, Eriswell West Stow Heath Westhall Wood and Meadow Weston Fen Wilde Street Meadow Wortham Ling
Geological	Alde-Ore Estuary Aldeburgh Brick Pit Aldeburgh Hall Pit Bawdsey Cliff Bobbitshole, Belstead Breckland Forest Buckanay Farm Pit, Alderton Chillesford Church Pit Corton Cliffs Crag Farm Pit, Sudbourne Crag Pit, Aldeburgh Creeting St Mary Pits Ferry Cliff, Sutton Flixton Quarry Gedgrave Hall Pit Great Blakenham Pit Hascot Hill Pit Holton Pit Hoxne Brick Pit Neutral Farm Pit, Butley Pakefield to Easton Bavents Ramsholt Cliff Red House Farm Pit Red Lodge Heath Richmond Farm Pit, Gedgrave Rockhall Wood Pit, Sutton Round Hill Pit, Aldeburgh Sandy Lane Pit, Barham Stoke Tunnel Cutting, Ipswich Stour Estuary Sudbourne Park Pit Valley Farm Pit, Sudbourne Waldringfield Pit

v t e Local nature reserves in Suffolk
Babergh	Arger Fen Broom Hill, Hadleigh Railway Walk, Hadleigh The Railway Walks Riverside Walk, Hadleigh Sudbury Common Lands Tiger Hill
Ipswich	Alderman Canal East Alderman Canal West Bixley Heath Bobbits Lane Bourne Park Reed Beds Bridge Wood The Dales Open Space Millennium Wood Pipers Vale Spring Wood, Belstead Stoke Park Wood
Mid Suffolk	Bramford Meadows Church Meadow Fen Alder Carr Needham Lake The Pennings, Eye Rede Wood
West Suffolk	Aspal Close Barton Mills Valley Haverhill Railway Walks Maidscross Hill Moreton Hall Community Woods
East Suffolk	Gunton Warren and Corton Woods Gunton Wood The Haven, Aldeburgh Landguard Common Leathes Ham Mill Stream Sandlings

• Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Suffolk
• Local Nature Reserves in Suffolk
• Fens of England
• Suffolk Wildlife Trust
• Babergh District