Lymington and Keyhaven Nature Reserves

The Hampshire Wildlife Trust's Reserve on the west Solent is situated between Hurst Shingle Spit in the west and Lymington River to the east.

This Reserve extends to over 2,000 acres of saltings and mudflats thus forming a major part of the Hurst Castle/Lymington River Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The intertidal area of the Reserve is complemented by the addition of botanically-rich sections of Hurst Shingle Spit. The marshes to the east of the Lymington River became a Local Nature Reserve in 1995. They are managed by the Trust in partnership with South Hampshire Wildfowlers Association under a lease from New Forest District Council.

Other traditional uses of the intertidal areas such as non-commercial bait digging and the collection of gulls eggs are permitted under a series of licences and leases.

A major feature of this coast is the grazing marshes lying inside the Keyhaven-Lymington seawall. Covering an area of more than 450 acres these are owned and managed by Hampshire County Council. They also lie within the Site of Special Scientific Interest.