Orford Ness

Orford Ness
Near Orford, Suffolk
Looking towards Orford Ness from Orford castle
Orford Ness
Coordinates	52°04′53″N 01°33′31″E / 52.08139°N 1.55861°E / 52.08139; 1.55861
Type	National Nature Reserve, Site of Special Scientific Interest, internationally important site for nature conservation, former military test site
Site information
Operator	Ministry of Defence, Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
Status	Inactive
Site history
In use	1913 – early 1983

Orford Ness is a cuspate foreland shingle spit on the Suffolk coast in Great Britain, linked to the mainland at Aldeburgh and stretching along the coast to Orford and down to North Weir Point, opposite Shingle Street. It is divided from the mainland by the River Alde, and was formed by longshore drift along the coast. The material of the spit comes from places further north, such as Dunwich. Near the middle point of its length, at the foreland point or 'Ness', once stood Orfordness Lighthouse,^[1] demolished in summer 2020 owing to the encroaching sea.^[2] In the name of the lighthouse (and the radio transmitting station – see below), 'Orfordness' is written as one word.