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Lakenheath Fen

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Address
RSPB Lakenheath Fen, Station Rd, Lakenheath, Brandon, Thetford, Suffolk. IP27 9AD
Grid ref
TL724865

With big skies, extensive reedbeds and booming bitterns. Come and see how the RSPB has transformed former carrot fields into a magical wetland home for kingfishers, cranes, otters and watervoles. Our visitor centre has everything you need to find out more about the reserve and its wildlife.

Plan your visit

Opening times

Dawn to dusk every day.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
£3
Children
£1.50 (5-17 year olds)
Free entrance for first child
Free entrance for under 5s
Student
£2
Other discounts

Visitor centre only – FREE entrance

RSPB members – please show our staff on duty your membership card.

Facilities

  • Visitor centre
  • Car park
  • Toilets
  • Accessible toilets
  • Refreshments
  • Picnic area
  • Binocular hire
  • Guided walks
  • Viewing point
  • Shop off-site
  • Educational facilities

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

At weekends, some trains call at Lakenheath. A new footpath links the visitor centre with Station Road north of the railway station. On weekdays, the closest station is Brandon, 4.7 miles away (7.5km).

By bus

No scheduled buses serve the reserve, but the on-demand Brecks Bus from Brandon and Thetford is available Monday-Friday. To book, phone Brecks Bus on 01638 664304 by noon the weekday before travel.

By bike

The best links for buses are along the byways from Brandon and Hockwold.

By road

From Lakenheath village, travel north on B1112 for about 2 miles (3.2 km). Go over the level crossing and turn left into reserve entrance. From Hockwold village, travel south on B1112 for nearly 1 mile (1.6 km), go over the river bridge and turn right into reserve entrance.

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

A new footpath links the visitor centre with Station Road north of the railway station. The Hereward Way long-distance footpath runs alongside the reserve and provides a good link into Brandon (4.7 miles/7.5 km).

Get directions from Google Maps
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Group booking information

We welcome group visits including coach parties. Please contact us well in advance so that we can plan and allocate car parking spaces and provide introductions to the reserve if required.

Schools booking information

We are able to run a limited number of school visits each year. We offer environmental education out on the reserve including pond dipping and bug hunting. Please contact us if you are interested in arranging a visit.

What will the weather be like?

22 degrees, Partly cloudy (day)

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 188Kb

Lakenheath Fen trail map

Contact Lakenheath Fen

  • RSPB Lakenheath Fen, Station Rd, Lakenheath, Brandon, Thetford, Suffolk. IP27 9AD
  • lakenheath@rspb.org.uk
  • 01842 863400
  • Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

    Marsh Harrier male in flight

    Marsh harrier

    Present throughout the year with a winter roost, spring sky dancing and prey passing in the summer.

    Bittern

    Bittern

    Bitterns are perfectly adapted for life in the reedbeds at Lakenheath.

    Common crane adult

    Crane

    In 2007, cranes bred for the first time at Lakenheath Fen.

    Bearded tit male

    Bearded tit

    Bearded tits can be seen perched up on stems in calm weather and feeding on fallen seeds on the mud.

    Kingfisher

    Kingfisher

    Keep your eyes pealed for that unmistakable flash of blue around the water at Lakenheath Fen.

Recent sightings

Lakenheath Fen RSPB reserve, view across pools and reedbeds

Find out about recent wildlife sightings at Lakenheath Fen.

read more

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter
  • In spring, you can hear booming bitterns, and cuckoos calling in the poplar woods.
  • Hobbies reach their highest numbers in May - with up to 40 in the air at any one time. 
  • The reedbed is full of singing reed and sedge warblers.
  • Watch the breathtaking antics of the marsh harriers as they display above the reedbed.
  • Admire the aerobatic hobbys as they gather to feed on insects above the reedbed.
  • Bittern feeding flights may be visible. 
  • Try to identify the many different dazzling dragonflies whizzing over the water.
  • Enjoy the colours of beautiful fenland plants and butterflies.

 

  • In autumn, hobbies, turtle doves, warblers and all other summer visitors return to sub-Saharan Africa for the winter. 
  • Look out for barn owls hunting silently over the grassland at dusk.
  • The trails are great for viewing orb weaver spiders, hobbies may be present until October.
  • Autumn is the best time to catch a glimpse of elusive otters!
  • You can see teal, gadwall, tufted duck, wigeon, shoveler and on occasion whooper swans.
  • Spot the majestic cranes in flight over the reedbeds.
  • See bearded tits out and about around the reserve.
  • Keep your eyes peeled for shy water rails hiding underneath the visitor centre feeders.
  • Witness the incredible sight of thousands of rooks and jackdaws roosting in the poplar woods.
  • Watch marsh harriers roosting in the reedbeds

About Lakenheath Fen

Habitat

Lakenheath Fen reserve comprises a mixture of wetland and woodland south of the Little Ouse in Suffolk. The RSPB has converted an area of arable farmland into a large wetland, consisting mainly of reedbeds and grazing marshes. The new reedbeds have attracted hundreds of pairs of reed warblers and sedge warblers, as well as bearded tits and marsh harriers. 

Conservation

We are working to restore Lakenheath Fen's former biodiversity and to create a home for many specialist reedbed species like bitterns.

Since 1995 we've created nearly 400 hectares of habitat on the reserve including wet reedbed, ungrazed fen and wet grassland. This has encouraged a variety of birds and other wetland wildlife. Our work includes grazing and controlling water levels. Now the reedbeds are well established we are managing them by cutting to maintain a mosaic of old and new reeds.

Lakenheath forms part of a network of other fenland nature reserves. These include Wicken Fen, Chippenham Fen, Woodwalton Fen and the washlands of the rivers Great Ouse and Nene. Many are now undergoing similar restoration and extension projects.

Together these reserves will conserve and recreate some of the region's original natural character and biodiversity. Extensions to these reserves will help us to replace some of the coastal marshes at risk from sea-level rise along the Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk coasts.

Site information

Lakenheath Fen forms part of a broader network of wetlands across the fenland region, that will both restore its former biodiversity and help protect it from the threats posed by rising sea levels.

Latest forum posts

  • Lakenheath first trip

    Made our first ever visit to lakenheath on Saturday, lovely day at a great reserve. Saw a wide variety of species during our visit including bearded tits at mere hide, reed bunting at visitors centre, cormorant on the post at new fen, a male kestrel ...

    Posted 16/01/2017 by Brian B
  • First Lakenheath visit of 2016!

    I've been meaning to visit this lovely reserve again since going for the corvid roost walk last December......somehow I've never quite made it here until today!  It was the most perfect winter's day for a nice, long walk up to the Joist Fen viewpoint...

    Posted 27/12/2016 by Clare
  • The Origin of our cranes

    Good afternoon, There have been some inquiries about the origin on our cranes on social media recently so here is an e-mail from Norman Sills, our ex-Site Manager which sheds some light on the subject: The only evidence (that our birds are wild birds...

    Posted 24/08/2016 by David White
  • Friday 2nd sightings

    I visited the reserve for the first time on Friday, and despite the disappointment of missing the cranes, had a great day out in the sunshine. A juv hobby hawking near the car park and bearded tits showing well from the Mere hide were the highlights....

    Posted 04/10/2015 by Tom H
read our forum

Latest blog posts

  • 18 April recent sightings: Sunny days

    Good morning. We have been treated to some lovely weather recently so here are some more recent sightings from Monday onwards. There were at least two roe deer grazing alongside the entrance track as I drove in on Monday morning. I walked around Bran...

    Posted 18/04/2018 by David White
  • 15 April recent sightings: Where do I start?!

    Good afternoon. I have a rather long list of sightings in front of me from Friday onwards so here we go from Friday onwards: I had a really close view of a barn owl hunting along the river before work on Friday morning. I finally managed to catchup w...

    Posted 15/04/2018 by David White
  • 12 April recent sightings: Things are slowly starting to happen

    Good afternoon. Things are now slowly starting to happen here on the reserve. Before I launch into some more recent sightings, here are some pictures that I took on the reserve last Friday which I hope you like:  Image credits: David White There were...

    Posted 12/04/2018 by David White
  • 6 April recent sightings: Recent arrials

    Good afternoon. There has been plenty to see here this week so here are some more recent sightings: On Tuesday, Katherine heard at least three chiffchaffs singing around the reserve. She saw a ringed plover in flight over the Washland viewpoint and t...

    Posted 06/04/2018 by David White
read our blog

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

Lakenheath Fen has a Wildlife Explorers group run from the reserve.  We hold events for the group once per month on a Saturday throughout the year.  In addition, our event programme includes specific sessions for families during school holidays.  Please contact the visitor centre for further information or look at our events listing.

Events

  • May
  • June
Friday 4 May
Going batty at RSPB Lakenheath Fen
Suffolk
Sunday 6 May
Dawn chorus walk
Suffolk
Sunday 13 May
Aerial aerobatics
Suffolk
Saturday 19 May
May moth morning
Suffolk
Tuesday 22 May
A close encounter with bitterns and marsh harriers
Suffolk
Tuesday 29 May
A close encounter with bitterns and marsh harriers
Suffolk
Wednesday 30 May
Wild challenge children's event: Go birdwatching
Suffolk
Friday 1 June
Evening exploration
Suffolk
Tuesday 5 June
A close encounter with bitterns and marsh harriers
Suffolk
Tuesday 12 June
A close encounter with bitterns and marsh harriers
Suffolk
Tuesday 19 June
A close encounter with bitterns and marsh harriers
Suffolk
Tuesday 26 June
A close encounter with bitterns and marsh harriers
Suffolk
More events

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Reedbeds and pools at RSPB Lakenheath Fen nature reserve

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Formerly a vast, impenetrable marshland, the Fens now help feed the country.
Sunset at Lakenheath Fen RSPB reserve. Suffolk, England. November 2006.

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The Brecks is a unique and special landscape. Made up of rare grass heathland and the largest lowland forest in the UK.
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