Arger Fen and Spouse's Vale are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and fall within the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

Arger Fen's contrasting habitats of dry wooded hillside and damp valley floor create a rich environment for wildlife and visitors alike.  Many rare and declining species have found a refuge here including the rare hazel dormouse, barbastelle bat and stag beetle.  Arger Fen is important for its wild cherry trees, which have survived in impressive numbers.  It is believed that the wood is one of only two ancient woodlands of wild cherries in the east of England showing its significance in the county.

See and hear Arger Fen in May by viewing a video filmed by
  Suffolk Free Press

Spouse’s Vale is a fascinating mosaic of ancient coppice woodland, new naturally regenerating woodland alongside fen meadow.  The interesting mix of trees includes oak, ash, field maple, holly and crab apple with some wild cherry, superb large alder and hazel stools. It’s best to visit in spring when you will be greeted with a fabulous display of bluebells accompanied by the magical song of woodland birds.

Butterfly to look out for include the speckled wood, meadow brown, orange tip, holly blue and comma. Common lizard and grass snake bask in the summer sun and in winter flocks of siskin can be an unexpected pleasure feeding on Alder seeds. Survey work has revealed the presence of the yellow-necked mouse and rare dormouse here.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust is restoring the meadows at Spouse’s Vale to their former glory through a careful programme of scrub clearance, mowing and grazing.  We regret there is no public access to the meadows.

We would like to thank Misses Edith and Frances Vale who generously purchased Spouse's Vale Nature Reserve for Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

A new woodland for Suffolk

In addition to our core work of managing nature reserves and protecting the wider countryside we are constantly developing new projects that will result in further gains for wildlife, such as our new woodland project.

Hullbacks Grove, once an arable field, is nestled between the ancient woodland of Spouse's Vale and Arger Fen.  By linking the ancient woodlands to create one large wooded area the new wood has enormous potential for wildlife. Our aim is to establish the new woodland through natural regeneration, so the mix of species mirrors the ancient woodlands around it.

As the woodland evolves, a succession of wildlife will benefit from it. In the early years the scrub and grassland will support farmland birds such as skylark.  Dormice are present in both Spouse's Vale and Arger Fen so this is a real opportunity to create new habitat and extend their range.

Help us create new woodland at Spouse's by sponsoring an area of woodland for dormice

Thanks to Biffaward and Barbagh District Council for their support:

Trust reserves nearby:
Cornard Mere
Groton Wood