Sotshole Broad Land Purchase and Habitat Restoration appeal
A haven for wildlife in the Bure Valley
Close to South Walsham, NWT Ranworth Broad and NWT Upton Broad and Marshes, lies Sotshole Broad. This special 25 hectare site is not only a sanctuary for the wildlife of the secluded broad, but also the huge range of species that call the Bure Valley’s bluebell wood, tussocky alder carr woodland, sunny grassland, wet scrub, and dykes home.
After two decades of care under private ownership, Norfolk Wildlife Trust has been offered the unmissable chance to bring this nature-rich land and water into the protection of our Bure Valley nature reserves. With this, the opportunity is created to further build Sotshole Broad’s value for wildlife, improve the quality of the water flowing through it and help bring you closer to the wildlife of the Bure as we open up to public access.
We have already secured the majority of the funding needed to buy the site but we need to raise a further £100,000 to secure the purchase and improve it for both wildlife and people.
Please donate today to help keep Sotshole Broad safe as a haven for wildlife.
Norfolk Wildlife Trust are excited to have the opportunity to secure another important piece of the Bure Valley to help improve, expand and connect the landscape for nature. Sotshole Broad is an absolute gem of a site consisting of an array of priority habitats that must be protected and nurtured to secure their value to wildlife and people.
Our many thanks go to the late David Pooley and his family whose energy, dedication, and inspiration now provide the opportunity for us to build on his years of effort to not only benefit the wildlife of the Bure Valley, but to also open up this delightful little site as a nature reserve for local people and visitors to the Norfolk Broads to enjoy.Kevin Hart, Director of Nature Conservation
Connecting you to nature
Bringing Sotshole Broad into Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s care means that we can not only provide the connection across the landscape that wildlife needs, but also provide that much needed connection with nature to you too. This compact nature reserve with its mosaic of habitats is within walking distance from Ranworth, South Walsham and Panxworth, and - for the more energetic - Woodbastwick and Upton.
What makes Sotshole Broad so special? Read more about this wonderful wild place here.

Every donation, no matter how small or large, will help keep Sotshole Broad as a safe haven for wildlife.

£30
could help keep our conservation grazing cattle safe on site as they help manage the grasslands for wildflowers, bees and butterflies by providing 2m of fencing.
£100
could help establish 10m of reed fringe habitat on the edge of the broad, creating a haven for dragonflies, reed warblers and reed buntings.
£250
could help us build an otter holt or a kingfisher bank, providing homes for these special creatures to raise their families.Thank you for your donation - it really will make a difference to wildlife in the Bure Valley.