The car park is reached from Tod Point Road. This reserve may have steel works to one side, a trunk road to another and be cut by a railway line, but its wetland features attract a large and diverse bird population. In the 16th century, the marshes were used as saltings, and 50 acres remain, chiefly in the centre of the reserve. There are also two man-made freshwater lakes, formed in the 1970 s from what was a refuse tip. In spring, the skylark, meadow pipit, wheatear and whinchat are commonly seen, and bluethroat and black redstart can be seen occasionally.
Summer sees the reed bunting and sedge warbler in the tall vegetation to the north.
More than 200 species have been recorded here, with little egret and black-winged stilt two of the real rarities. Flowers of ancient woodland, birdlife. There are toilets at the boating lake carpark. Access with convenient parking is near Mill Farm, from the boating lake where the Gill flows into the sea. Otherwise it can be reached via the playing fields on the north-west edge of Brotton, using their car park.