Chessel Bay

Chessel Bay (grid reference SU440126) is the name given to the bay formed on the eastern side of a large bend in the River Itchen to the east of the district of Northam in the city of Southampton, Hampshire, England. Chessel Bay Local Nature Reserve (LNR), designated by the City Council in 1989, is located here. It comprises a narrow strip of woodland, a parallel strip of shingle and saltmarsh and a substantial area of mudflats. At low tide the mudflats are exposed attracting wading birds and wildfowl: curlew, oystercatchers and dunlin can be seen throughout the year. In winter, the site is also used as a stop-over for other migrating birds such as brent geese.

At low tide, mudflats are exposed, and these attract feeding estuary birds. The mudflats are also nationally and internationally important; being part of the Lee-on-Solent to Itchen estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and part of the Southampton Water and Solent Marshes Special Protection Area (SPA).

Local volunteers, Friends of Chessel Bay, team up with the City Council twice a year to combat the large amount of litter which accumulates in the bay, and carry out management of the Reserve.

Coordinates: 50°54′40″N 1°22′32″W / 50.91120°N 1.37553°W / 50.91120; -1.37553