Medmerry

Medmerry is one our wild and wonderful reserves, found on the south coast, near Chichester. If offers long walks and bike rides, with panoramic views, glorious sunsets and plenty of wildlife.

The result of one of Europe's largest managed realignment schemes, Medmerry is a real sucesss story for wildlife and people. Discover Medmerry's journey from a flood plain to vibrant nature reserve in this video.  

The reserve has 6.25 miles of trails to help you get to know the landscape. It's also just a stone's throw from our Pagham Harbour reserve, where we run family events and creative workshops.

Springtime at the Medmerry stilt pools is enchanting as the wader who stars in our RSPB logo, the Avocet, settles down to breed. Find yourself a vantage point and witness the trials and triumphs of arguably one of our UK’s most elegant birds. The youngsters, looking like little pom-poms on legs, are a joy to watch as they mimic the adults' feeding behaviour within hours of hatching.

Medmerry is a great place to observe birds of prey, and if you brave the bleak winter weather you may be rewarded with the thrill of the chase. We see vast numbers of wildfowl and waders, plus Linnets and finches in large flocks. Like an explosion, the air erupts in a cloud of birds, signifying the arrival of a hunting Peregrine or Merlin hurtling onto the scene like a missile. This is nature in its rawest and most fundamental form, an intense life and death battle of agility, strength and guile.

Download our trail maps to help you plan your visit:

• Medmerry trail guide
• Pagham Harbour and Medmerry trail map