Minsmere

Welcome! We’re continuing to follow government guidance to make your visit safe and enjoyable. See our Covid-19 updates page for the latest information (link below). In line with government recommendations, we ask that all visitors, unless exempt, continue to wear a face covering in our indoor spaces including hides. This is currently a legal requirement in our shop and visitor centre. Please also #RespectProtectEnjoy the special wildlife here and each other, by keeping to the paths, being mindful of other people’s space, following signage on-site and directions from our friendly team. Thank you.
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Address
RSPB Minsmere, Sheepwash Ln, Saxmundham IP17 3BY
Grid ref
TM473672
What3Words
deep.showering.bombshell

Good to Go

Covid-19 updates for RSPB nature reserves

Discover some of the UK's rarest wildlife and enjoy family-friendly activities at Minsmere. Choose an idyllic walk or head to the coastal lagoons to see an impressive variety of birds, including avocets, bearded tits and bitterns. If you're lucky, you might see an otter around the reedbed pools.

Plan your visit

Opening times

  • Nature reserve: open daily, dawn-dusk.
  • Car park: open daily, dawn-dusk.
  • Visitor Centre: open daily
    9am-5pm, 1 February-31 October.
    9am-4pm, 1 November-31 January.
  • Shop: open daily
    9am-5pm, 1 February-31 October.
    9am-4pm, 1 November-31 January.
  • Café: open daily
    10am-4pm, 1 February-31 October.
    10am-3.30pm, 1 November-31 January.
  • Toilets: open daily, dawn-dusk.

Festive opening times

  • Christmas Eve: nature reserve, visitor centre, shop and toilets open, 9am-3pm, café open, 10am-2.30pm.
  • Christmas Day: nature reserve, visitor centre, shop, café and toilets closed.
  • Boxing Day: nature reserve, visitor centre, shop, café and toilets closed.
  • New Year’s Eve: nature reserve, visitor centre, shop and toilets open, 9am-4pm, café open, 10am-3.30pm.
  • New Year’s Day: nature reserve, visitor centre, shop and toilets open, 9am-4pm, café open, 10am-3.30pm.
  • All other days in the festive period are open our usual winter opening hours as above.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
£9
Children
£5
Free entrance for first child
Free entrance for under 5s
Student
£6
Free entrance for carers
Yes
Car park cost

Free

Facilities

  • Visitor centre
  • Car park
  • Toilets
  • Accessible toilets
  • Baby changing
  • Café
  • Picnic area
  • Binocular hire
  • Guided walks
  • Viewing point
  • Nature trails
  • Shop
  • Educational facilities
  • Play area

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Darsham is the closest station (5 miles).

By bus

Leiston is the nearest scheduled bus (4 miles). A demand-responsive bus will meet local buses and trains from 7am - 7pm Monday to Saturday. It must be booked the day before travelling by calling Suffolk Links Blyth on 01728 635938.

By bike

National cycle route 1 links with regional route 42 (Suffolk Coast Cycle route).

By road

The reserve is sign posted with brown tourist signs from Westleton.

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

Information for dog owners

Sorry, dogs are not permitted on the nature reserve, except assistance dogs, 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. Even if dogs are very well behaved, wildlife can easily become startled by a 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 by not exercising your dog here.

  • Other exciting dog walking routes are available to enjoy in the local area, ask our staff for a map and directions.
  • Dogs can die in hot cars, please do not leave your dog in the car when visiting us.

Group booking information

Bringing a flock? We welcome group bookings.
Please notify us of your visit in advance by phoing 01728 648281 or emailing minsmere@rspb.org.uk.

Schools booking information

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

Your class can enjoy hands-on practical activities within easy walking distance of the well-equipped Discovery Zone and classroom. Each programme is designed to last two hours - sessions run between 10am-12pm and 12.30-2.30pm. Two programmes can be combined to make a whole day visit. 

We have two classrooms in the Discovery Centre. These are level throughout with a flexible layout, hearing loop and accessible toilet.

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, 149Kb

Minsmere trail map

Contact Minsmere

Want to restore precious habitats?

An avocet dips its beak into a pool of water to feed amongst a reed bed. The birds reflection is perfectly mirrored in the water.

Habitats such as peatland and saltmarsh are vital. They act as carbon sinks, taking it out of the atmosphere, and are very important in the fight against the nature and climate emergency. They're also great for wildlife. If you donate today, you’ll help these valuable habitats thrive.

Donate today

What will you see?

Our star species

Recent sightings

Find out about recent wildlife sightings at Minsmere.

read more

Seasonal highlights

In spring, the first wading birds move through on their way north. Look for the dramatic switchback display flights of marsh harriers above the reedbeds and listen for deep booming call of the elusive male bittern.

During summer, look for young avocets, common terns and gulls on the Scrape. The first spotted redshanks, ruffs and other wading birds begin to return from the Arctic from late June. The heaths turn a stunning purple as the heather begins to flower, while nightjars churr at dusk, when you may spot a glow-worm too.

In Autumn, migration is in full swing with a continuous stream of birds passing through. Wading birds on the Scrape may include curlew sandpipers, little stints or ruffs and perhaps a rare visitor from North America. The red deer rut is the star attraction on the heath during October.

Throughout winter, large flocks of ducks gather on the Scrape and grazing marshes. Birds of prey may include marsh and hen harriers, peregrines, barn or short-eared owls. Otters are occasionally seen on Island Mere or reedbed pools.

About Minsmere

Habitat

Minsmere's habitats also include four national conservation priorities: reedbeds, lowland wet grassland, shingle vegetation and lowland heath.

Conservation

The RSPB is working to safeguard all the reserve's ecosystems, and developing it as a showcase for our activities. 

  • We are managing the reedbeds to create a range of habitats. This benefits wildlife including marsh harriers, otters, water voles and bearded tits.
  • We are managing the lowland wet grassland for wintering wildfowl and breeding waders.
  • We are managing heath and acid grassland for the benefit of specialist wildlife, including nightjars, Dartford warblers, natterjack toads and silver-studded blue butterflies.
  • We're grazing with sheep to improve vegetated dunes for rare flora and invertebrates.
  • We're regulating water levels and salinity to maintain coastal lagoons for avocets and other water birds.
  • We're controlling non-native plants for wildlife such as nightingales.
  • We're cultivating areas to encourage rare arable plants. We are also converting former arable farmland into acid grassland and heathland to provide more habitat for woodlarks and encourage the re-colonisation of stone-curlews.

We work with local businesses to support the conservation of birds and wildlife in the Suffolk area.

By working with us you will:

  • Reinforce your reputation as an environmentally responsible organisation, sending positive messages to your customers, staff, suppliers and the communities in which you operate
  • Share the benefits of the RSPB's brand recognition and reputation
  • Make the world richer in wildlife.

We welcome support in a variety of ways:

  • Become a corporate member of Minsmere
  • Staff volunteering
  • Sponsorship
  • Licensed and affinity products
  • Gifts in kind

Alternatively we can work with you to build a partnership in ways that suit you.
Money raised from corporate members goes directly towards protecting and enhancing wildlife and helping people of all ages to enjoy and learn more about our natural world. With your help, we can continue to protect the wildlife and landscape of the Suffolk coast.

Partners

Little Tern Recovery Project is generously supported by the EU LIFE+ Nature Programme.

Site information

This reserve enjoys the protection of SSSI, SAC, SPA and Ramsar Site conservation statuses. It is also a Council of Europe Diploma Site.

Minsmere is a wonderful place for wildlife, but there's also a fascinating story of why the landscape looks like it does today. When exploring the reserve, look out for the medieval chapel and Second World War defences.

  • Leiston Chapel - The only visible remains of the original Premonstratensian Abbey are a small chapel that was thought to have been used until the dissolution in 1537. Research has shown that this chapel was built upon the site of the original church and wider precinct of Leiston Abbey which was founded in 1182 by Ranulf de Glanville, Lord Chief Justice to King Henry II.
  • The Second World War - By the 20th century, the mere had been drained for agriculture. Local stories record that the area behind the coastal dunes was re-flooded during the Second World War as a way of defending against coastal invasion - a tactic that was used at many such locations in East Anglia. Research by RSPB staff has found aerial photos of Minsmere taken by the Luftwaffe during the mooted invasion period of summer 1940. These photos indeed show a recently drowned agricultural landscape and the hurried construction of a 'coastal crust' of concrete and barbed wire defences.

Latest blog posts

read our blog

Latest forum posts

read our forum

What people are saying about Minsmere

Have been coming to Minsmere off and on for several years primarily for its location, peace and the welcome you get from all the volunteers. Decided not to chase any particular sighting but slowly wander to see what turned up. Thought Island Mere hide had the best chance of a snipe. Alas no luck but treated to two bitterns flying left to right in quick succession! After 40 plus years of wildlife watching, my first bitterns! Minsmere remains special.

John Meredith

We have always wanted to visit Minsmere and finally got our chance. Being in the UK, it rained, but so what. We had a brilliant day and got to see a bittern, a great white egret and a stonechat. Looking forward to our next visit. Thanks to the helpful and friendly staff.

Graham & Janet Dawson

This was our first visit to Minsmere. It certainly lived up to its reputation for being the crown jewel of RSPB reserves! It's usually up to me to find a wader in the spotting scope and then its up to my husband to figure out what it is with the help of others or a book. We were a little confused as to what I had found, so we took a photo of it through the scope (I've yet to get the hang of digiscoping). Upon returning to the shop to ask what it was, to our delight the photo was clear enough for several members of staff to identify it as a curlew sandpiper! Such a huge variety of birds all in one location, how lucky you are.

Martin and Becky Cooper

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

RSPB Minsmere is a fantastic coastal nature reserve that's perfect for families. Discover nature together in our Wild Zone and Wild Wood Adventure area. The Wild Zone has fun activities including a play tree and child-sized nests. In the Wild Wood, you can build a den or look for minibeasts. In the Wildlife Lookout, you can see some of Minsmere’s special birds.

Drop in at the Discovery Centre to take part in family-friendly activities, or enjoy one of our many self-guided activities. 

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

Leisure activities

Choose an idyllic walk or head to the coastal lagoons to see and impressive variety of birds. Be sure to keep an eye on the reedbeds too. Maybe you'll catch a glimpse of a shy otter?

  • Hire-a-guide - You can book a volunteer guide for a half day guided walk. We tailor each walk to you and the wildlife you want to see. Great for small groups, wheelchair users, people with limited mobility and anyone wanting advice on improving their photography.  (Max 3 hours, Costs £125.00 for up to 4 people plus normal entry fees, £100.00 for RSPB members).

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

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Join us - legacy

 Become an RSPB member by signing up here.