Sweet Briar Marshes – A flagship nature reserve for Norwich
This appeal is now closed. Thank you to everyone who supported the appeal, including our project partners Aviva who generously matched every donation pound for pound up to £300,000. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so here.
In 2022, our incredible supporters raised £600,000 to purchase over 90 acres of precious wilderness in the heart of Norwich at Sweet Briar Marshes. The appeal’s success means we can protect rare wildlife and better connect the City’s residents to nature.
Your donations are also helping to fund a vital “Discovery Phase” which sees us developing plans to restore the site for wildlife and to provide public access to this urban wild space.
Photo credit: Terry Whittaker
“Imagine stepping into a secret wild marsh in the heart of Norwich. A place where kingfishers whistle, water voles swim and orchids bloom. A place of tranquility for people too, where city children – and adults – can connect with nature. This is not a dream – Sweet Briar Marshes is a miraculous treasure – but we need your help to save it.”Patrick Barkham, President of Norfolk Wildlife Trust
A Wilder Norwich for All
Close to the heart of Norwich lies Sweet Briar Marshes: 90 acres of fen, rough meadow, grazing marsh, old hedgerows, and young woodland.
Unusually for a city centre, this mosaic of habitats was arable farmland until as recently as the late 1990s. Today it is a treasure trove of nature, wilderness, and peace. But this uniquely wild place is increasingly surrounded by urban development, and its sensitive ecology – including a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – was in danger of being lost forever…
So, with the chance to secure the land, restore its biodiversity, and enhance it for people and wildlife alike, we have a remarkable opportunity to rewrite the story of Sweet Briar Marshes.
We want to create A Wilder Norwich for All with Sweet Briar at its centre: an urban green space that is both rich in wildlife and enriching to the lives of the communities it serves; accessible and valuable for all the species who share it.
To make this vision a reality, we appealed for your help to raise £600,000 to:
- Acquire 90 acres of precious wilderness in the heart of Norwich
- Begin work to create a major new nature reserve for the city and its residents
- Protect and enhance a vital stepping stone for wildlife in an otherwise urban landscape
Our ambitions for Norwich are being made possible by the support of:
Aviva
For over 200 years, Norwich has been Aviva’s historic home, and today more than 5,000 staff still work in the city. As a long-term supporter of Norfolk Wildlife Trust, they share our commitment to sustainability through climate resilience, nature recovery, and building stronger communities. We are grateful that Aviva generously match funded this appeal, helping to secure Sweet Briar Marshes under our care for the future.
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
We are extremely fortunate that the Esme᷄e Fairbairn Foundation share our concern for the future of Sweet Briar Marshes, and our vision for realising its potential. By purchasing the land and giving us the opportunity to buy it back, they helped to secure it in perpetuity, protect it from harm, and enhance its precious mosaic of habitats for the wildlife and communities it serves