Hesketh Out Marsh

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 Hesketh Out Marsh, Dib Rd, Hesketh Bank, PR4 6XQ

Grid ref: SD422251

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

Hesketh Out Marsh is a unique site that is part of the Ribble Estuary National Nature Reserve. This rare saltmarsh habitat is home to a variety of wonderful wildlife including: pink-footed geese and wigeons in winter, along with big flocks of wading birds like redshanks and lapwings.

Plan your visit

Open from 8am - 6pm, or dusk if earlier.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Children: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Facilities

Car park
Pushchair friendly
Viewing point
Nature trails

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

The nearest stations are Preston, Rufford and Southport. (Taxi ranks without accessible taxis, but there are several local providers.)

By bus

The nearest bus stop is Hundred End junction on Shore Road, 1 mile (1.5 km) by public footpath. Frequent service (Arriva No. 2) from Preston to Southport.

By road

There is a small car park (open from 8am - 6pm) at the end of the (private) Dib Road. Take Shore Road from Banks or Hesketh Bank. The turning is the first on the right after leaving Hesketh Bank and the first on the left after passing the Hundred End junction.

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.

Other ways to get there

Access is via a network of public footpaths from Hesketh Bank, Hundred End and Banks villages.

Get directions from Google Maps

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Dogs are allowed on public footpaths. Please keep them on leads to avoid disturbing the birds and worrying the sheep that may be grazing here.

14 degrees, Sunny day

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 131Kb

Hesketh out marsh trail map

Contact Hesketh Out Marsh

RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh, Dib Rd, Hesketh Bank, PR4 6XQ
Ribble.reserves@rspb.org.uk
01704 211690
https://twitter.com/RSPB_Ribble
Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

Lapwing

Huge numbers of lapwings gather here in winter.

Little egret

Little egrets can now be seen here in large numbers right throughout the year.

Peregrine falcon

They are a regular sight overhead in autumn and winter.

Redshank

Redshanks can be seen all year round and gather in tight-knit groups to roost at high tide.

Shelduck

You can see shelducks dabbling for food on the mudflats at any time of year.

Spring is an atmospheric time at Hesketh Out Marsh. Wading birds like lapwings, avocets and redshanks perform their eye-catching courtship displays. Come and watch their antics from Karen's viewpoint. When the tide is out, spot brown hares as they skip through the grass. Special, hardy plants such as sea aster thrive here too.

This is a wonderful place to watch birds. Look for graceful greenshanks and black-tailed godwits, on their way back south after breeding in places like Scandinavia, Iceland and Russia. Also spot bright white little egrets fishing in the creeks with their spear-like beaks. Butterflies will flit around you as you walk the paths.

The wading birds are joined by large numbers of ducks and geese from as far afield as central Russia and Siberia. Ducks like teals and wigeons come here to escape the sub-zero temperatures in Europe; believe it or not, the UK has a comparatively warm climate!

The Ribble Estuary is famous as a home to thousands of pink-footed geese at this time of year, and they often gather at Hesketh Out Marsh. These neat, brown geese are smaller than the greylag and Canada geese you see in your local park. Listen out for their distinctive 'oinking' call as they fly in 'V' formations overhead.

About Hesketh Out Marsh

Habitat

This new saltmarsh habitat reserve is a great place to admire the gathered pink-footed geese, wigeons, teals and other wildfowl in winter. The networks of creeks, lagoons and banks that run throughout provide an ideal place for them to feed and rest.

Conservation

Hesketh Out Marsh is an incredible story of re-creating saltmarsh, one of the most important habitats in the UK. Sadly much of the saltmarsh in this country has been lost to human activity and is further threatened by climate change, making this reserve vitally important. The first half of Hesketh Out Marsh was restored in 2007, and now the second half of the site has been given the same treatment, with work completed in autumn 2017.

When we bought Hesketh Out Marsh, it was used for growing crops. The land had been taken out of the Ribble Estuary for agriculture in the 1980s by the creation of an outer wall, but this wall was never going to last for ever. With the climate changing and the sea level rising, a partnership of the RSPB, Environment Agency and Natural England recognised the need to plan for the future - to create new saltmarsh habitat for wildlife and to build stronger flood resilience for the local community.

The reserve does both these things by the process known as 'managed realignment' and is the largest project of its kind in the North of England. The seawater has been allowed back in to flood some of the land, re-creating lost saltmarsh which provides more space for nature. The new saltmarsh also acts like a sponge, soaking up some of the energy of the sea, slowing the flow of the tide and reducing the flood risk to 143 properties and nearby agricultural land.

The newly refurbished 2km flood embankment used locally sourced materials, excavated from the new marsh for landscaping including the creation of new lagoons and creeks. Using materials sourced on site helped to minimise the impact on the local community and reduce the carbon footprint of the project.

See our video about our work at Hesketh Out Marsh.

Partners

Partnering with:

Site information

Hesketh Out Marsh is one of Europe’s largest restored saltmarshes and a new addition to the Ribble Estuary National Nature Reserve. Developed in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency. It was opened in two phases with generous support from WREN.

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