page_title: RAF Donna Nook
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: RAF Donna Nook / History
caption_attribution_description: Donna Nook From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Donna Nook is a bombing range on the coast of Lincolnshire, England, north of the village of North Somercotes. The area is salt marsh, and is used by the numerous Royal Air Force bases in Lincolnshire for bombing practice; known as RAF Donna Nook. The resident wildlife fare surprisingly well, and seem to have become accustomed to aircraft bombing near them on a regular basis. One particular group is the Grey Seal population, which is visited by around 43,000 people a year (2006), and the seals return to breed during October to December every year. Media coverage of Donna Nook has led to this big increase in visitor numbers. The coastline is managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust as a nature reserve. In 2007, the seal colony had its best breeding season on record, with about 1,194 pups born from the 3,500 resident grey seal colony. A controversial double wooden fence has been erected in 2007 to try to stop people touching the new born pups. If the mother seal detects human or dog scent on its pup, it may be abandoned
context_page_description: Royal Air Force Donna Nook or more simply RAF Donna Nook is a bombing range in East Lindsey in north-east Lincolnshire in England. It is maintained by the Royal Air Force and used by NATO aircraft.
context_section_description: The area has been in continual use since the First World War and was established as a protection point from Zeppelins trying to enter the Humber area. Donna Nook is just north of North Somercotes and is also a 6.2 miles (10 km) nature reserve with a large seal habitat in the early winter maintained by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. It is the only national nature reserve in the UK on MOD land, and was opened on 18 July 2002 by Air Commodore Nigel Williams. The bombing range covers an area of 885 hectares on land and 3200 hectares at sea.
caption: Range warning sign
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