Holland Haven Marshes

{{Short description|Protected area in Essex, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox SSSI

|image=Holland Haven Country Park - view from bird hide 2.jpg

|image_caption=View from the Holland Haven Country Park bird hide

|name= Holland Haven Marshes

|aos= Essex

|interest= Biological

|gridref={{gbmappingsmall| TM 211 170 }}

|area= 208.8 hectares

|notifydate=1992

|map=[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271006349%27 Magic Map]

}}

Holland Haven Marshes is a {{convert|208.8|hectare|acre|adj=on}} biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-east of Clacton-on-Sea in Essex. It is an L-shaped site which stretches along the coast from Frinton-on-Sea to Holland-on-Sea, and then north along the Holland Brook.{{cite web|url= http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1006349.pdf|title=Holland Haven Marshes citation|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= 8 June 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271006349%27 |title=Map of Holland Haven Marshes|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= 8 June 2016}} It includes Holland Haven Country Park, a 22.1 hectare Local Nature Reserve owned and managed by Tendring District Council.{{cite web|url=http://www.lnr.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/lnr/lnr_details.asp?C=0&N=holland&ID=223 |title= Holland Haven |series=Local Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England| date = 25 January 2016|access-date= 8 June 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=lnrIndex&query=REF_CODE%3D%271008961%27 |title=Map of Holland Haven |series=Local Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England| access-date= 8 June 2016}}

A network of ditches radiates from Holland Brook, and these have several nationally scarce aquatic plant species, such as brackish water crowfoot and divided sedge. The site also has grasslands which are botanically important. There are also rare invertebrates, including the Red Book soldier fly Stratiomys singularior. There are many breeding and wintering birds. The country park has a bird hide, parking, and toilets.

There is access to the country park from a coastal footpath, but much of the site is on private land with no public access.