Days out
Otmoor
BeckleyOpenSee opening timesLeave bustling Oxford behind and venture into the tranquil wetland reserve of Otmoor. Wading birds and wildfowl await, alongside warblers and other songbirds.
About
⚠ If possible, please avoid visiting the reserve during the Christmas and New Year holiday period and on weekends, Bank Holidays and Fridays. Increased visitor numbers at this time of year cause traffic issues on our access road and in neighbouring villages and make parking difficult. Please drive slowly through Beckley and along Otmoor Lane and consider car-sharing if possible. Always use the designated carpark and do not block gateways or entrances ⚠
Otmoor is a haven for wildlife in the heart of Oxfordshire. The visitor trail leads you alongside an expansive floodplain grazing marsh, home to wading birds and wildfowl all year round. Elsewhere in the reserve, hedgerows bustle with warblers and other songbirds, while the rustling reedbed adds to the immersive experience of being on the moor.
The 485 hectares of this reserve are carefully managed to provide rich habitat to our Lapwings, Redshanks, Snipe and more. One of the largest inland wetland complexes in the country, Otmoor is home to a huge amount of wildlife, rare species and impressive wildlife spectacles.
What to expect:
Spring: Look out for Lapwings performing their tumbling display over the fields. In the scrapes, Redshanks probe for food, while Snipe perform their mating call come dawn and dusk.
Summer: Grass Snakes and Common Lizards bask out in the early morning sun, while Black and Brown Hairstreak Butterflies can be found feeding and laying eggs along the blackthorn hedgerows.
Autumn: Watch the flocks of Golden Plovers and Lapwings as they perform aerial displays, evading a Peregrine or Marsh Harrier. Listen out for the Lapwings' 'peewit' calls, as thousands of them flock to feed at Otmoor.
Winter: Watch Redwings and Fieldfares feasting on the berries in the hedgerows and look out for Barn and Short-eared Owls hunting over the fields.
Top 5 species:
For latest sightings, see Oxon Birding Blog, Birds and Wildlife in Oxfordshire Facebook Group or Otmoor Birding Blog. Birds and Wildlife in Oxfordshire Facebook Group
At a glance
Open daily, dawn-dusk. 30 spaces. Found at the end of Otmoor lane. Level and limestone surfaced can be uneven in places. No lighting.
If the car park is full please do not park along Otmoor Lane, as this can block access for emergency vehicles.
There are no toilets here. The nearest public toilets are in Headington around 4.5 miles away.
There are no toilets here. The nearest public toilets are in Headington around 4.5 miles away.
A mix of different paths, both flat and undulating. Paths are uneven in places and may be wet and muddy after rain. There are kissing gates around the reserve.
A mix of different paths, both flat and undulating. Paths are uneven in places and may be wet and muddy after rain. There are kissing gates around the reserve.
There are no toilets here. The nearest public toilets are in Headington around 4.5 miles away.
BBQs are a fire risk, endangering other people and the precious wildlife and habitats here. They are not permitted on the reserve at any time.
Dogs are welcome on the public footpaths and bridleways on the reserve but must be kept under close, effective control at all times.
Dogs are not allowed off the paths onto any of the fields, nor along the visitor trail or other permissive paths.
There are 'no dogs' signs on various gates to indicate which paths they cannot use.
Assistance dogs are welcome in all parts of the reserve.
See what’s here
Contact Otmoor
otmoor.admin@rspb.org.uk Otmoor, Otmoor Lane, Beckley, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX3 9TD 01865 351163