Arger Fen is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) south-east of Sudbury in Suffolk, England. The site occupies two separate areas. The Arger Fen Local Nature Reserve is part of the larger eastern block, and contains part of the Tiger Hill Local Nature Reserve, along with part of the Arger Fen and Spouse's Vale, a nature reserve managed by the

Suffolk Wildlife Trust Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) describes itself as the county's "nature charity – the only organisation dedicated wholly to safeguarding Suffolk's wildlife and countryside." It is a registered charity, and its headquarters is at Brooke House in ...

. The site lies in the

Dedham Vale Dedham Vale is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Essex-Suffolk border in east England. It comprises the area around the River Stour between Manningtree and Smallbridge Farm, 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Bures, including the ...

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of ...

, The site is made up of a mix of woodland and meadow habitats with much of the woodland believed to be ancient in origin. The underlying geology is a mixture of sand and gravel banks and clay soils, producing a mix of habitat types, including wet fen type habitats at lower levels and dry grasslands on acidic soils on hill tops. It is one of only two known areas of ancient woodland in Eastern England which feature wild cherry (''

Prunus avium ''Prunus avium'', commonly called wild cherry, sweet cherry, gean, or bird cherryWorld Economic Plants: A Standard Reference, Second Edition'. CRC Press; 19 April 2016. . p. 833–. is a species of cherry, a flowering plant in the rose family, ...

'').

Badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by ...

s are found on the reserve in a number of active setts. Other rare fauna include the

hazel dormouse The hazel dormouse or common dormouse (''Muscardinus avellanarius'') is a small mammal and the only living species in the genus ''Muscardinus''. Distribution and habitat The hazel dormouse is native to northern Europe and Asia Minor. It is the ...

and barbastelle bat. In 2012 the reserve, which has

ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

trees at least 300 years old, was identified as a site of ash dieback and in 2013 it became a research site for

Forestry Commission The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England. The Forestry Commission was previously also respon ...

scientists studying genetic resistance to the Chalara fungus which causes the disease. There are onsite car parking facilities as well as two-way marked trails, including areas of board walk. The trust has attempted to encourage the growth of the dormouse population, partly by expanding the area of land it owns at Arger Fen.

References

{{Authority control Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Suffolk Local Nature Reserves in Suffolk Fens of England Suffolk Wildlife Trust Babergh District