Situated north of Norwich on the Norfolk coast, the North Norfolk Coast biosphere reserve was a biosphere reserve until 2014 when its status was withdrawn. The area includes a wide range of habitats, from intertidal sands and muds, through shingle ridges, to saltwater and freshwater marshes. The saltmarshes are of great value for breeding and wintering wildfowl and includes a large breeding colony of common seals. Other habitats comprise mires, river valleys, heathlands, chalk and cliff-top grasslands, woodlands and farmland.