BARTON TURF & IRSTEAD

This area of Broadland is quiet and unspoilt. Whether you arrive walking, by road or on water it is a great place to explore the lovely Norfolk Broads villages of Neatishead, Irstead and Barton Turf.  Neatishead has their own Parish Council.  Neatishead is the largest of the three villages and is home to The White Horse pub.  The shop, The White House Stores, was purchased by the community of all three villages and is now open again following extensive renovations.

All the villages have their own staithe, giving access to Barton Broad, and it is this waterside setting that gives these villages that something special.  Between the villages of Neatishead and Irstead is Gays Staithe and the Barton Boardwalk, allowing foot access to view Barton Broad. There are many fine walks and bike rides along quiet country lanes and to Alderfen Broad nature reserve.  This Broad cannot be accessed by boat and offers a beautiful, peaceful walk and the opportunity to overlook the water from a viewing platform.

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Barton Broadwalk

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Biodiversity on Barton Turf Common

 

The common is just over an acre of land in the centre of Barton Turf, bordered by Staithe Road, Hall Road and The Common, forming a triangle with the common at the south end and housing to the north. There is a good variety of habitats with areas of short cut grass, marsh hay meadow, dense thicket and scrub, some woodland and three shallow ponds. The ponds: Hayletts, Dale and Forge ponds, surrounded by mainly reed, bull rushes and flag irises, are fed by rainfall directly onto the common and from road runoff. This results in frequent flooding and, because the water does not drain, water levels only return to normal as a result of evaporation.

 

The common was formerly known as The Claypits1 because the ponds were created by the removal of clay, a process known as marling. Clay was used for a number of purposes including building and to fertilise arable land with lime. Building would typically use clay lump freshly extracted or sometimes clay fired to make bricks and tiles. Clay lump was used to build a number of buildings in the area and, whilst a lot of these properties no longer stand, Hayletts Cottage on Staithe Road, a particularly lovely example, is still present in Barton Turf. The ponds, once dug, would become functional as sources of water. Local historical records show that they had also been used to dump waste periodically1.

 

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Surprisingly, most ponds in the UK are man-made. Natural stable ponds do exist, but these are the exception and can be caused by geology, animals (for example beavers, deer) or are ground water fed. In Norfolk, the majority ponds are artificial and without maintenance and restoration disappear from the landscape. Whilst there are many ponds in Norfolk (estimated 23,000)2, most are overgrown or in decline. The Norfolk Wildlife Trust help re-establish ponds and are currently maintaining over one hundred with the aim of maintaining biodiversity2.

 

Barton Turf common has long been a haven for wildlife due to its unique variety of proximal habitats. Its ponds go through rapid successional changes and require frequent excavation to ensure they do not revert to reed dominated marshland. Dredging to re-establish the ponds has taken various forms over the years from hand digging to motorised removal of silt and clay. This has been coordinated or supported by the parish council, often with the good will of local farmers. The most recent dredging took place in 2023 as a result of grant applications to North Norfolk District Council Sustainable Communities Fund and to Natural England applied by Neatishead, Irstead and Barton Turf Wildlife Friendly Villages group (WFV) and the Neatishead, Irstead and Barton Turf Heritage Group (NIBCHG).

 

The 2023 project restored Hayletts and Dale ponds. The ponds are waterproofed by natural clays, but this area geologically has deposits of both sedimentary clay and sand. Any break through to sand would result in the loss of the ponds through drainage so dredging was kept to a maximum depth of 1m. This coincides with ideal depths for many pond plants, vertebrates and invertebrates. However, it does lead to the ponds being very susceptible to being taken over by more aggressive plants species like reed and bullrushes, both of whom spread very quickly with their fast-growing rhizome root systems.

 

A limited number of trees were cut back in order to allow light into the ponds. Light is key to the success of ponds. Without sufficient light there is not enough photosynthesis or heat to sustain a viable ecosystem. The project also established a dipping platform for education, access paths and some wildlife viewing benches.

 

As a result of this most recent re-establishment of the ponds, the NWT frequently survey the area and have a management plan for the Parish council which includes the following:

• Allow growth of plants around the ponds whilst maintaining paths for access

• Keep ponds clear of overhanging branches to allow light access

• Coppice hazels in rotation to allow light access

• Establish/maintain two grass/meadow areas to the north of Hayletts Pond: one regularly short cut (cut grass area); the other cut twice per year with removal of organic material (marsh meadow)

• Construct a bug hotel

• Create a compost heap using removed hay from the meadow

• Install bird and bat boxes

 

There has long been a tradition of Barton Turf common working parties. In 2023 The Barton Turf Wildlife Working Party (BTWWP) was established to continue this work with a focus on maintaining and creating more habitats for wildlife, thus increasing the biodiversity.  The team consists of Parish Councillors and volunteers from Barton Turf, Irstead and Neatishead. The work is varied: gathering hay for the compost heap, coppicing hazel, establishing and maintaining paths, putting up nesting boxes and making bug hotels. The shared experience fosters friendship in the community, develops connections with nature as well as impacting positively on biodiversity. The working parties also allow different views on the management of the common to be heard. The varying habitats, are good for biodiversity and also for the different interests of the local community. For example, the formal cut grass areas for dog walkers and children playing games, are also good for thrush species, wagtails and deer. The meadows are cut twice yearly and the hay is removed often with the help of local farmers in conjunction with the BTWWP. This reduces nutrients crucial to allow species other than grass to establish. The remainder of the common is left to its own devices except for path maintenance.

 

Fish and ducks are a problem for biodiversity in small ponds3. Regular articles in the local parish magazine explain this in the hope there are no fish introductions or excessive feeding of ducks. Extra feed for fish and ducks in small ponds creates eutrophication in which algal and duckweed blooms cause aquatic plants to die. Bacteria thrive on this dead plant material removing oxygen from the water which in turn results in the death of animal species. Furthermore, ducks are omnivorous feeding regularly on large animal food like frogs and newts as well as invertebrates and plant material. Fish similarly will feed on newt larvae and newts actively avoid ponds with fish4.

 

Bioblitzes are regularly organised by Sophia Hale Sutton (WFV). These collect information on the species found on the common and formed an integral part of the application process for the recent pond maintenance grants. These are led up by Stewart Wright and include other local experts Andy Beaumont, Jerry Simpson and Jon Kelf.  Newt surveys by Aaron Brown (NWT) have successfully identified the presence of great crested newts on the common which is a testament to all the work carried out by WFV, BTWWP, the local parish council and NWT.

 

Anyone wishing to be involved with supporting the promotion of biodiversity on the common can contact the Barton Turf and Irstead Parish Council Clerk.

 

Dr Neil Sanderson

Barton Turf and Irstead Parish Council

January, 2026

 

References:

1. Barton Turf: A History of the Common. Michael Brandon Jones. Neatishead, Irstead and Barton Turf Community Heritage Group. November 2021.

2. Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) website: NorfolkWildlifeTrust.org.uk

3. https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ducks-ponds-and-wildlife

4. Habitat selection and reproduction of newts in networks of fish and fishless aquatic patches. Laurane Winandy, Pauline Legrand, Mathieu Denoël. Animal Behaviour Volume 123, January 2017, Pages 107-115

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The following species have been found on the Barton Turf Common

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Barton Turf Common Species

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