Strumpshaw Fen, an RSPB nature reserve on the Norfolk Broads, is celebrating 50 years since it was taken over from unmanaged fenland in the mid-1970s. The reserve is notable for supporting rare and threatened species in a setting that reserves manager Helen Deavin describes as unusually accessible, making it a "hidden gem" where visitors can readily see wildlife that is otherwise difficult to spot elsewhere in the UK.

The 450-hectare (1,112-acre) site is home to nesting bitterns, swallowtail butterflies, marsh harriers, bearded tits, otters, water voles, fen raft spiders and rare sharp-leaved pondweed, and a pair of cranes successfully raised a chick there this summer. Deavin said the summer's heatwaves had been tough on the reserve, with hopes for a cooler, wetter autumn, though staff are bracing for potential flooding and saline surges linked to seasonal tides. To mark the anniversary, Strumpshaw is running celebratory events including guided walks.