Secretive ex-military site at Orford Ness in Suffolk looking for its next ferry operator

A nature reserve on a secretive ex-military island is seeking someone to run a ferry service connecting it to the mainland.

The Orford Ness site has a long military history, spanning from the First World War to the Cold War, which has included the development of nuclear weapons.

Much of the armed services' work at the site on the Suffolk coast still remains a secret.

It was taken over by the National Trust in 1993, after it was sold by the Ministry of Defence.

The remote shingle spit is home to wildlife including Chinese water deer, rare-breed sheep and birds of prey such as marsh harriers and falcons.

For decades it was well known for its distinctive lighthouse, which was demolished in 2020 as it was threatened by erosion.

The trust now maintain the reserve and run a public ferry service to and from the largest vegetated shingle spit in Europe.

It described the opportunity as "extremely rare" and said it was looking for an experienced sailor to oversee a 12-person passenger ferry, a powerboat and a rowing boat.

The job has a closing date of 27 March ahead of the island reopening for the summer season in April.

The successful candidate will join the ranks of East Anglia's other quirky job holders.

Claire Buckle from Haverhill rescues hedgehogs for the Suffolk Hedgehog Hospital, while Rachel Morris from Essex landed a job in the UK's most remote post office - in the South Pole.