Minsmere

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Address
RSPB Minsmere, Sheepwash Ln, Saxmundham IP17 3BY
Grid ref
TM473672
What3Words
deep.showering.bombshell

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.

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

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 diverse wildlife is here because of the rich and varied landscapes within the reserve. Look forward to exploring reedbeds, wet grasslands, shingle vegetation and lowland heath. All of these habitats are national conservation priorities.

Conservation

Minsmere’s varied landscapes makes it an ideal spot to see how we manage and protect different habitats for the benefit of wildlife.

The reserve’s reedbeds, wet grasslands and heathlands are all carefully managed to make them ideal places for a huge variety of wildlife. Take the reedbeds, where marsh harrier, otters and water voles can be found. Or the heathlands, where nightjars whirr, natterjack toads croak and silver-studded blue butterflies flutter.

Don’t be surprised to see sheep grazing here, they play a vital role in improving the dunes for some of our rarest plants and minibeasts, such as the brilliantly named great green bush cricket.

Water is a vital part of Minsmere’s appeal and we work hard to get the water levels and salinity right across the reserve, with different species thriving in different conditions.

We are expanding these ways of managing land and converting former farmland into acid grassland and heathland, to make more space for birds such as woodlarks and rare stone-curlews.

Partners

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

Site information

Minsmere is a special place and is protected in a number of ways. It is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protection Area (SPA), a Special Area for Conservation (SAC) and a Ramsar Site – to find out more about these protections head here.
 
The reserve is also Council of Europe Diploma Site.  
 
History 

Minsmere’s wildlife may be its main attraction, but it has a fascinating story to tell too. You can read about it Minsmere's archeology and history here.

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

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

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. 

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). For all available dates and prices, please visit events.rspb.org.uk/minsmere

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