Ham Wall

Due to a structural issue, the bridge crossing the canal after Viewing Platform 2, owned by the Environment Agency, is closed, awaiting inspection. It is therefore not currently possible to do a full circuit on the Ham Wall Loop trail. The rest of the site is open as normal for you to enjoy. Thank you for your understanding.

Address: RSPB Ham Wall, Meare, Ashcott, Glastonbury BA6 9SX

Grid ref: ST449397

What3Words: biggest.sharpened.clots

Ham Wall is a wetland teeming with wildlife - from rare species like water voles and otters to magnificent birds like bitterns and kingfishers. Enjoy stunning views across the marshes to Glastonbury Tor and make some time to follow secluded paths through the mystical landscape.

Plan your visit

Nature reserve: open daily, dawn-dusk.
Car park: open daily
5am-6.30pm, 1 November-31 January.
5am-8pm, 1 February-31 March.
5am-10pm, 1 April-30 August.
5am-8pm, 1 September-31 October.
Information point: open daily, 10am-4pm.
Refreshments: available on weekends, 10am-4pm. Available as often during the week as we have a volunteer. Card payment preferred.
Toilets: open daily
5am-6.30pm, 1 November-31 January.
5am-8pm, 1 February-31 March.
5am-10pm, 1 April-30 August.
5am-8pm, 1 September-31 October.

Festive opening times

Christmas Eve: nature reserve open, dawn-dusk. Toilets open. Information point and refreshments closed.
Christmas Day: nature reserve open, dawn-dusk. Toilets open. Information point and refreshments closed.
Boxing Day: nature reserve open, dawn-dusk. Toilets open. Information point and refreshments closed.
New Year’s Eve: nature reserve open, dawn-dusk. Information point and refreshments open, 10am-4pm. Toilets open, 5am-6.30pm.
New Year’s Day: nature reserve open, dawn-dusk. Information point and refreshments open, 10am-4pm. Toilets open, 5am-6.30pm.
All other days in the festive period are open our usual winter opening hours as above.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Children: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Car park cost

There are no entry fees to the nature reserve, but the following car parking charges apply:

RSPB members: FREE (please display your membership card face down in your windscreen)
Non-members: £3 per vehicle (Card Payment Only)
Blue badge holders: FREE

Facilities

Visitor centre
Car park
Toilets
Accessible toilets
Baby changing
Refreshments
Picnic area
Guided walks
Viewing point
Nature trails
Educational facilities
Play area

Accessibility

Full accessibility information (external website)

How to get here

By train

The nearest railway station is Bridgwater, 10 miles (15 km) from the reserve.

By bus

Nearest bus stop is at Ashcott, 2.5 miles (4 km) away. 375/X75 service.

By bike

National Route 3 runs nearby.

By road

From Glastonbury: Take the B3151 to Wedmore. At the village of Meare, go past garage on your left, then follow the brown sign, taking the second left into Ashcott Road. The reserve entrance is 1 mile on the left after the Railway Inn.

From the M5: From the M5: Take the A39 to Glastonbury for 7 miles until you see signs for Avalon Marshes Centre, turn left onto Shapwick Hill and carry on into the village and past the church. Continue on through the village and stay on the same road for 1 mile until you reach the Avalon Marshes Centre on your right. Continue past the Avalon Marshes Centre taking the next right at Back Lane in Westhay. At the end of Back Lane turn right onto Main Road.

Follow Main Road for about 1.5 miles through the village of Meare past Meare Manor on your left. Here you will see a brown sign directing you to take the next right. You will reach a narrow part of the road with a colourful painted fence on your left. Here you need to turn right onto Ashcott Road. The reserve entrance is 1 mile on the left after the Railway Inn.

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

View on What3Words

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Dogs are welcome on the public footpaths around the nature reserve. Please keep to the designated rights of way only.

Please keep your dog on a lead at all times, due to the sensitive wildlife and habitats here. We know that the countryside is a dog walking paradise. It’s important to remember the special surroundings here are wonderful havens for rare wildlife so we’ve dog-friendly routes for you and your pooch to enjoy. Even if dogs are very well behaved, wildlife can easily become startled by a loose dog they perceive as a predator.

Disturbing wildlife does more than simply causing it to move away; it uses up their energy, decreasing their chance of survival regardless of season. Thank you for protecting the special wildlife here by keeping your dog on a lead / under close, effective control.

The Reedbed trail, Waltons Heath trail and Loxtons Marsh trail, are not public footpaths, so sorry, no dogs are permitted here other than assistance dogs.
Dogs are welcome on the Ham Wall Loop apart from the path to the Avalon Hide.
A dog water bowl is available at the side of the Welcome Building.
Dogs die in hot cars, please do not leave your dog in the car when visiting us.
There are no dog waste bins on the reserve, we ask that you take the waste home with you to dispose of.

Groups are welcome to visit the reserve during normal opening hours.

For details on our exciting programme of curriculum-linked outdoor education sessions, visit our school trips information.

Also, check out our fantastic range of resources for teachers, or take on the Schools’ Wild Challenge.

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 2.4Mb.

RSPB Ham Wall trail guide

Contact Ham Wall

RSPB Ham Wall, Meare, Ashcott, Glastonbury BA6 9SX
ham.wall@rspb.org.uk
01458 860494
@RSPBHamWall
Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

Bittern

The reedbeds at Ham Wall were specially created to encourage bitterns to return.

Bearded tit

Listen for their bell-like 'pinging' calls, then watch them whizzing across the tops of the reeds.

Great white egret

Keep an eye out for great white egrets feeding here.

Hobby

Falcons which arrive at Ham Wall in late April, leaving in September.

Nature spectacles

Ducks are one of the main attractions in the wintering months. Test your ID skills on the large numbers of widgeon, gadwall, teal, mallard, shoveler, and tufted ducks that are present. Can you spot the few pintail hiding among them? In icy weather chances of spotting elusive otters increase, particularly near the Tor View Hide, when they gambol across the ice. Stunning great white egrets can be seen fishing from the reed edges.

The ‘boom’ of the male bittern can be heard echoing across the reserve and flying females bringing food to their young. Swallows, swifts, martins and hobbies arrive from Africa - up to 30 hobbies may be seen in the air at one time. A large roost of dragonflies may be seen at dawn during May.

Hunting barn owls eagerly look for voles and mice for their young and seen regularly at dawn and dusk in summer. Broods of young ducks and grebes amongst the reedbed edges. Iberian water frogs chorus noisily in the ponds near the welcome building.

The railway line is a hive of activity with birds feeding on berries and seeds. Kingfishers flash up and down the ditches - check the canal crossing the railway bridge. Bearded tit flocks ‘ping’ in the reeds and may be seen flitting from edge to edge.

In icy weather chances of spotting elusive otters increase, particularly near the Tor View Hide, when they gambol across the ice. Stunning great white egrets can be seen fishing from the reed edges.

About Ham Wall

Habitat

A gem of a reserve where extensive reedbeds give way to open water, creating a paradise for wetland birds, mammals and minibeasts. Elsewhere woodlands and grasslands brim with life and are home to a wide range of wildlife stars.

Conservation

Ham Wall is cared for in a way to create ideal conditions for its wildlife.

The reedbeds are cut and vegetation removed on rotation to maintain a variety of habitats. The cuttings are then turned into soil conditioner which is used on nearby gardens and allotments.

Water levels are also kept at the best levels for wildlife such as wading birds, while cattle grace the reedbeds and grasslands in the summer months.

Site information

Ham Wall was not always a wildlife paradise. This 265-acre site was once owned and worked by the peat industry, but in 1994 the land was passed to the RSPB. We had one main objective – to create a habitat fit for bitterns. The land was sculpted by machines, RSPB volunteers and staff, while reedbeds were grown from seed. The plants were then planted by hand in a painstakingly slow mission to create ideal conditions for bitterns to return. The hard work paid off and in 2008 bitterns bred, with the new reserve playing a crucial part in the slow recovery of the bird that booms.

Since then the reserve has been colonised by other new UK species, such as great white egrets, little bitterns and cattle egrets, all who have bred on the reserve.

Latest blog posts

read our blog

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

We run exciting events throughout the year during school holidays ranging from spooky pumpkin trails at Halloween to bug hunts, night walks and canoeing during the summer. Join one of our events to discover something new.

The main path through the reserve is wide and flat (with an incline either side of the railway bridge) making it pushchair friendly. Its also a local cycle route - great for family bike rides away from traffic.

Near the Visitor Welcome building we have a wooden food cycle sculpture trail for children to follow to learn about who eats who, as well as a willow eel to play in.

For more information on events and to book tickets, please visit events.rspb.org.uk/hamwall

Leisure activities

A local cycle way / footpath running through the heart of the reserve (the old railway track) links to Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve and Glastonbury as well as Sustrans route 3. Providing a flat and even off-road cycle route for those looking to enjoy the countryside away from traffic. Please be aware that this route is shared with pedestrians.

There is disabled access to this reserve by RADAR key. Please ask at the Visitor Welcome building for more information or to borrow a key.

Starling Murmuration Information

Everything you need to know for visiting the starling roost

Starling murmurations are a true wonder of the natural world and the Avalon Marshes host a roost of it's own every year.

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Ham Wall