History
Reed beds were established at Minsmere during World War II when the existing grazing marshes were flooded as an anti-invasion measure. The reserve was first established in 1947 when the RSPB leased around 1,500 acres (610 ha) from the Ogilive family. This land was then purchased in 1977 with further purchases of surrounding land expanding the reserve over the years.
The ruins of a chapel at the original site of Leiston Abbey, a scheduled ancient monument, are visible to the south of the reserve. Threatened by flooding, the monks moved the abbey in 1363 to a site 2.5 miles (4.0 km) further inland, building a chapel dedicated to St Mary at the site of the original abbey church, the stone from which was used in the new building. The chapel probably remained in use until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536. The RSPB commissioned an archeological evaluation of the site and were provided £47,600 for its conservation and repair by English Heritage and Natural England.
Read more about this topic: Minsmere RSPB Reserve
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“We know only a single science, the science of history. One can look at history from two sides and divide it into the history of nature and the history of men. However, the two sides are not to be divided off; as long as men exist the history of nature and the history of men are mutually conditioned.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)
“Hence poetry is something more philosophic and of graver import than history, since its statements are rather of the nature of universals, whereas those of history are singulars.”
—Aristotle (384–322 B.C.)
“We may pretend that we’re basically moral people who make mistakes, but the whole of history proves otherwise.”
—Terry Hands (b. 1941)