Adur Estuary

We're working hard to make our nature reserves safe and ready for our staff, visitors and wildlife. Many have now re-opened in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, although some facilities are not yet available. Some reserves remain closed for now. See our COVID-19 updates page for the latest information (link below).

Address: RSPB Adur Estuary, A259, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5EN

Grid ref: TQ215049

See our reserves Covid-19 updates page for which sites are open and other important details.

This wild saltmarsh is just a few minutes walk from Shoreham-by-Sea. Make the short journey from the town centre and you'll discover a small reserve where saltmarsh meets mudflats, the perfect feeding and roosting site for waders and wildfowl. Access is restricted, but you can enjoy views from nearby footpaths.

Plan your visit

Open at all times.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Children: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Facilities

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Shoreham-by-Sea. From the station, walk west along Ham Road then turn left onto Tarmount Lane, then East Street to reach the High Street along the river. The reserve lies just to the west of the footbridge.

By bus

Shoreham-by-Sea town centre.

By bike

The Adur Valley route is nearby.

Get directions from Google Maps

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

15 degrees, Sunny day

Contact Adur Estuary

RSPB Adur Estuary, A259, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5EN
pulborough.brooks@rspb.org.uk
01798 875851

What will you see?

Our star species

Dunlin

Watch out for breeding-plumaged dunlins with black bellies during spring.

Lapwing

Watch out for flocks of lapwings on the muddy banks of the river during autumn.

Oystercatcher

You can see oystercatchers at the Adur Estuary at any time of year.

Redshank

Redshanks can also be seen during any season - they are one of the most numerous wading birds here.

Ringed plover

Ringed plovers have a short, orange bill with a black tip, and adult birds have a smart black breast-band.

Little egrets, oystercatchers, ringed plovers, grey plovers, dunlins, redshanks and turnstones at low tide, feeding on the reserve and River Adur.

A generally quiet period for birds, but in August, numbers of oystercatchers, ringed plovers, dunlins and redshanks increase. Likewise, Sandwich and common terns are often seen fishing.

Little egrets, oystercatchers, ringed plovers, grey plovers, lapwings, dunlins, redshanks and turnstones at low tide, feeding on the reserve and River Adur. At high tide, grey herons, little egrets, snipe, redshanks and linnets on the reserve's saltmarsh.

About Adur Estuary

Habitat

The saltmarsh and mudflats support a range of wintering waterfowl.

Conservation

There is no access to the reserve itself in order to allow birds to breed and roost undisturbed, and the fragile habitats to develop naturally.

Site information

Owing to the sensitive nature of the habitat there is no access to the reserve itself, but it is viewable year round from surrounding public footpaths.

Marshside

Lytchett Fields

Arne

Adur Estuary