Minsmere

We are working hard to make our nature reserves safe and ready for our staff, visitors and wildlife. Although most of our sites with visitor facilities are currently closed, we have started opening those where is it safe and practical to do so in England and Northern Ireland. Please see our COVID-19 updates page for the latest information (link below).

Address: RSPB Minsmere, Sheepwash Ln, Saxmundham IP17 3BY

Grid ref: TM473672

See our updates page to see which reserves are open.

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

Reserve open dawn until dusk.

Visitor centre open 9am-5pm between 1 Feb-31 Oct and 9am-4pm between 1 Nov-31 Jan.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: £9

Children: (under 19) £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
Cafe
Picnic area
Guided walks
Viewing point
Nature trails
Shop
Educational facilities

Accessibility

Download full accessibility statement (PDF)

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

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Dogs are not allowed on the nature trails at Minsmere nature reserve (except assistance dogs) as the site is primarily for the conservation of wildlife and their habitats.

Dog walkers can use the public footpaths and bridleways. Dog walkers cannot access the beachfront the reserve.

Dogs are very welcome in the visitor centre, shop and in the café. Seating is also provided outside where you can sit with your dog.

Dogs may be exercised on a lead in the Minsmere car park and to the work centre. We have a number of shaded parking places where dogs can safely be left in cars. These are located on the access road to the Visitor Centre; please ask for information at the reception desk. A bowl of water is always available for dogs at the main entrance of the Visitor Centre.

Please walk your dog responsibly on all the public rights of way around and across the reserve.

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.

11 degrees, Sunny day

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 149Kb

Minsmere trail map

Contact Minsmere

RSPB Minsmere, Sheepwash Ln, Saxmundham IP17 3BY
minsmere@rspb.org.uk
01728 648281
@RSPBMinsmere
Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

Avocet

The famous scrape hosts a large colony of avocets.

Bearded tit

Bearded tits can be seen flitting over the reeds all year round.

Bittern

Minsmere holds a sizeable proportion of the UK population of bitterns.

Marsh harrier

The extensive reedbeds play host to several breeding marsh harriers.

Nightingale

Nightingales can be heard singing in the deciduous woodland in spring.

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.

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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. You can hire a Wildlife Explorer backpack with a bug box, activities, spotter guides and more. We also have a child-friendly cafe.

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. Hire-a-guides must be booked at least 1 week in advance by phoning the Minsmere visitor centre on 01728 648301. (Max. 3 hours, Costs: £100 for up to 4 people, or £80 for RSPB members, plus usual reserve entry fees.)
Minsmere 4x4 safaris - This is a great way for small groups to explore Minsmere and see parts of the reserve not normally accessible to visitors. Minsmere safaris must be booked at least 1 week ahead. (Max. 4 people, Costs: £125 per vehicle, or £100 for RSPB members, plus usual reserve entry fees. Please book at least two weeks in advance. Please call 01728 648301 to discuss availability.)