Orford Ness

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Orford Ness

Wild remote and exposed, Orford Ness is one of the countries most evocative sites.

Known as ‘The Island’, Orford Ness National Nature Reserve is an internationally important site for nature conservation. It is the largest vegetated shingle spit in Europe and an important location for breeding and migrating birds. Coastal plants and other wildlife flourish on Orford Ness, including a large number of internationally rare species. Across the site a range of coastal habitats can be

found including saltmarsh, mudflat, brackish lagoons and the internationally rare and protected vegetated shingle. From 1913 until the mid-1980s Orford Ness was used as a military test site and closely guarded to prevent public access. Vital to the defence of the realm but damaging to the fragile flora and fauna, top secret experiments were conducted here across both World Wars and into the nuclear age. Today, visitors can look inside some of the intriguing test buildings and view displays about the ecology and history of the site.

19/06/2026

The latest footage from one of our trail cameras - and proof that families of all shapes and sizes are VERY welcome at Orford Ness! 🩷

17/06/2026

We've still got a few tickets left for afternoon ferries over to Orford Ness tomorrow - but you'll have to be quick!

Follow the red route to explore more of this mysterious place, which has been reclaimed by nature after decades of military experimentation and is now a haven for wildlife.

Book now: https://rebrand.ly/BookForOrfordNess
📸: National Trust Images

09/06/2026

The former airfields are one of the first things you walk past on a visit to Orford Ness.

These form a large section of the land purchased by the War Department in 1913 and were used as a base for testing and developing aerial warfare. This included testing new aircraft and developing parachutes, camouflage and new navigation methods.

By 1918, over 600 staff lived and worked on the site - a stark contrast to today's peace and quiet, where nature has since taken over. 💚

Plan your visit to Orford Ness here: https://rebrand.ly/OrfordNess

05/06/2026

Orford Ness will be closed tomorrow, Saturday 6 June, due to high winds in the forecast.

Refunds are currently being processed for anyone who had pre-booked a ticket. We hope to welcome you back soon!

04/06/2026

On a sunny day earlier this week, we got to say (a distant) hello to this very proud mum. 😍

📸: National Trust Images

03/06/2026

We've still got a few tickets left for tomorrow's ferries over to Orford Ness - but you'll have to be quick!

Join us for an unforgettable day out and explore more of this mysterious place, which nature has reclaimed after decades of military experimentation.

Book now: https://rebrand.ly/BookForOrfordNess

📸: National Trust Images

27/05/2026

It's ! 🦦 Otters can be notoriously difficult to spot in the wild, particularly during the day time, so these images taken from our trail cameras are great to see!

Did you know...?

🦦 Otters can weigh between 7-11kg and are capable of catching prey of the same weight.

🦦 Their eyes are positioned high on their head to help them see when they are submerged in water, and their long muscular tail and webbed feet make them great swimmers!

🦦 Otters are carnivores that feed mostly on fish, amphibians and small water birds, and they'll sometimes look for food on land, too - including eggs, insects and small mammals. They usually eat more than 2lbs a day!

🦦 They're mostly solitary creatures except when they come together to breed, which they do year-round. However, most cubs are born in the summer, between May and August.

🦦 Otters are a protected species and considered one of the UK's greatest conservation successes, after nearly facing extinction in the 1950s due to habitat loss and pollution. They can live wherever there is clean freshwater - including coastal sites like Orford Ness!

📸: National Trust Images

18/05/2026

Discover more about Orford Ness’ fascinating history this Thursday, as we take part in The Cold War Network's Heritage Week!

Meet volunteers and researchers from IRGON (International Research Group Orford Ness), join in on a guided walk and visit our Island of Secrets exhibition to discover more about the secret military experiments that took place on Orford Ness from the First World War until the late 1980s – including detail about the six large test cells that were built to carry out environmental tests on the atomic bomb.

Find out more about ongoing research into the site’s secret past and learn more about why this precious stretch of vegetated shingle is so internationally important.

We've still got a few tickets left - but you'll have to be quick! Book here now: https://rebrand.ly/BookForOrfordNess

📸: National Trust Images

13/05/2026

There are some moody skies over Orford Ness today!

📸: National Trust Images

12/05/2026

On Thursday 14 May, our collections and house officer, Jack, will be in the NAAFI cleaning WE177-A, our decommissioned nuclear bomb. It's definitely not something you see every day...

Book your tickets to visit Orford Ness here: https://rebrand.ly/BookForOrfordNess

📸: National Trust Images

Address

The Quay Office, Quay Street
Suffolk
IP122NU

Telephone

+441394450900

Website

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/orfordness

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