Wildlife reserves · East of England
Great Holland Pits
In or near Jaywick.
Great Holland Pits — Essex Wildlife Trust Nature reserve.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–4 h
- Best time of year
- Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
- Nearest railway station
- Kirby Cross · 2.1 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
Great Holland Pits is located in Tendring, Essex, with the postcode CO13 0EU. The nearest railway station is Kirby Cross, which is 2.1 km away. Admission is free, but wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
Great Holland Pits is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. It covers approximately 16 km². Managed by Essex Wildlife Trust. Wikidata describes it as: "Essex Wildlife Trust Nature reserve". Coordinates: 51.8260°, 1.1970°.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2026
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the official site
Great Holland Pits is a nature reserve that has transformed from a former gravel pit into a thriving wildlife habitat over the past 50 years. Visitors can explore diverse landscapes featuring ponds, woodlands, and grasslands, which support a variety of plant and animal species, including butterflies and birds.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Holland Haven Marshes SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Great Holland Pits is a 16.2-hectare (40-acre) nature reserve east of Great Holland in Essex. It is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. This area of former gravel pits has grassland, ancient woodland, ponds and wet depressions. There are water birds such as kingfishers, coots and little grebes, and flowering plants include moschatels and carline thistles. There is access by a footpath from Little Clacton Road.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 51.8260, 1.1970
- County
- Essex
- District
- Tendring
- Parish
- Frinton and Walton
- Postcode
- CO13 0EU
- Parliamentary constituency
- Clacton
- Nearest railway station
- Kirby Cross — 2.1 km
- Opening
- Accessible at all times
- Official site
- www.essexwt.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q28404685 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Great Holland Pits (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Great Holland Pits - geograph.org.uk - 1336458.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Great Holland Pits Nature Reserve
Forests & woodlands · 0.4 km
Great Holland
Villages · 0.9 km
Great Holland Village Sign
Public art & sculpture · 0.9 km
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Campsites · 2.2 km
Holland-on-Sea
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Kirby Cross
Villages · 2.3 km
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Borrow Pit Bay
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Biana Bay
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Smugglers Bay
Beaches · 2.4 km
Connaught Bay
Beaches · 2.5 km
Christiansen Bay
Beaches · 2.5 km
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Great Holland Pits?
- Great Holland Pits is in Essex, East of England, United Kingdom (postcode CO13 0EU), in the parish of Frinton and Walton.
- What is Great Holland Pits?
- Great Holland Pits — Essex Wildlife Trust Nature reserve.
- How do I get to Great Holland Pits?
- The nearest railway station is Kirby Cross, about 2.1 km away. Drivers can use postcode CO13 0EU.
- Who runs Great Holland Pits?
- Great Holland Pits is operated by Essex Wildlife Trust.
- Is Great Holland Pits a protected site?
- Yes — Great Holland Pits is part of the Holland Haven Marshes SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Great Holland Pits free to visit?
- Yes, Great Holland Pits is free to enter.
- How do I get to Great Holland Pits?
- The nearest railway station is Kirby Cross, about 2.1 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CO13 0EU.
- Are dogs allowed at Great Holland Pits?
- Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.