A stretch of Lincolnshire coastline that was once occupied by a golf course has been transformed into a new nature reserve, with wetlands, grassland and coastal scrub now replacing much of its manicured landscape. Sandilands, near Sutton-on-Sea and Mablethorpe, was acquired by the National Trust in March 2020 after the golf club went into liquidation in 2018. Six years of planning, consultation and habitat creation later, the site has officially opened as a 30-hectare coastal nature reserve. The restored landscape now provides a mixture of shallow pools, wading areas and newly established habitats designed to support both resident wildlife and migratory birds along the Lincolnshire coast. The transformation has also opened the former private golf landscape to the wider public, with new paths and accessible facilities allowing visitors to experience the changing coastal habitat. This remarkable transformation demonstrates how carefully planned habitat restoration can rapidly convert heavily managed landscapes into thriving wildlife sanctuaries, benefiting both migratory birds and local communities simultaneously.
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