Darts Farm

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 Darts Farm, Topsham Rd, Exeter EX3

Grid ref: SX977883

We’re delighted to have opened the shop here! You’ll notice we’ve made some changes to help keep you and our staff and volunteers safe, and face coverings are needed if you’re planning to visit. We'll also be monitoring capacity on the shop floor, so please be patient if we ask you to wait, and introduced a one-way system to allow for social distancing. Card payments only please. We'll have slightly different opening hours: Monday-Friday 10am-5.30pm, Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm and Sunday 10.30am-4.30pm. We can’t wait to see you (from a safe distance of course).

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

Located on the outskirts of Exeter, Darts Farm is home to a large variety of wildlife. These include flocks of linnets, fieldfares and redwings during the winter, dragonflies, skylarks and kingfishers in summer. There's also a popular shop and tearoom here, part of a larger shopping complex.

Plan your visit

Open Monday to Saturday, 9am - 5.30pm, and on Sundays, 10:30am - 4.30pm.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free

Children: Free

Facilities

Visitor centre
Car park
Toilets
Accessible toilets
Baby changing
Pushchair friendly
Café
Binocular hire
Guided walks
Nature trails
Shop

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Topsham. 20-minute walk, following signs to Exmouth.

By bus

The number 57 Exeter to Exmouth bus stops opposite Darts Farm.

By bike

Cycle Path Exeter to Topsham continues to Darts Farm.

By road

From M5 Motorway: Leave motorway at Junction 30 and follow signs to Exmouth. Once on the dual carriageway, 'Darts Farm Shopping Village' is signposted on a tourist brown sign. Go past the first entrance and enter the car park in through the second. The RSPB Shop is above the Cotswold Outdoor shop.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Get directions from Google Maps

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

12 degrees, Sunny day

Contact Darts Farm

RSPB Darts Farm, Topsham Rd, Exeter EX3
01392 879438

What will you see?

Our star species

Brent goose

Flocks of brent geese come to feed on the fields and saltmarsh from October and stay until spring.

Buzzard

The buzzard is now the UK's most numerous bird of prey.

House sparrow

Watch our local house sparrows from our Darts Farm shop.

Little egret

These dainty little white herons can be seen throughout the year at Darts Farm.

Pied wagtail

Pied wagtails are charming little birds, with black, grey and white feathers and a long tail.

On the farm and ponds you'll see skylarks, fieldfares, linnets, goldfinches, greenfinches and chaffinches, mute swans, great spotted woodpeckers, sand martins, chiffchaffs, buzzards, swallows, kestrels, peregrines, sparrowhawks and kingfishers.

Around the farm and ponds, look for reed warblers, reed buntings, great and blue tits, greenfinches, pied wagtails, skylarks, buzzards, moorhens, whitethroats, kingfishers, willow and sedge warblers. On the wetlands, you might see lapwings and Canada geese.

Keep an eye out for buzzards, hobbies, wheatears, tits and finches, meadow pipits, stonechats, little grebes, brent geese and common sandpiper on the farmland and pond. Wigeons, teals, snipe, curlews, barnacle geese and green sandpipers feed in the wetlands.

Around the farm and ponds, you'll see flocks of finches, tits, fieldfares, song thrushes, blackbirds and redwings. Watch the wetlands for brent and Canada geese, teals, wigeons, black-tailed godwits, snipe, curlews and lapwings.

About Darts Farm

Habitat

On the outskirts of Exeter, Darts Farm is home to a large variety of birds, insects and other wildlife. Our shop here is part of a large shopping complex in beautiful farmland, with ponds and wetland areas.

Conservation

Our shop at Darts Farm overlooks the Clyst Valley towards RSPB Goosemoor, where we have recreated valuable saltmarsh and mudflat for waterbirds.

Just beyond lies RSPB Bowling Green Marsh, which we manage as a vital roosting place for waterbirds such as avocets and black-tailed godwits around high tide.

Site information

On the outskirts of Exeter, Darts Farm is situated on farmland but surrounded by wetlands.

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