Northward Hill

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). Please also #RespectProtectEnjoy the special wildlife here and each other, by keeping to the paths, being mindful of other people’s space and following signage on-site. Thank you.

Address: RSPB Northward Hill, Rochester ME3 8DS

Grid ref: TQ768765

What3Words: moisture.upward.broached

Covid-19 updates for RSPB nature reserves

You'll find Northward Hill on a ridge overlooking the Thames Marshes and its resident marsh harriers. It's a working farm with cows and sheep, surrounded by scrubland that's rich in nightingales and whitethroats. There's also a lovely bluebell wood and a large rookery.

Plan your visit

Nature reserve: open at all times.
Car park: open daily, 10am-4pm.
Toilets: closed.
Cherry orchard: closed.

Festive opening times

Christmas Eve: closed.
Christmas Day: closed.
Boxing Day: closed.
New Year’s Eve: open, 10am-4pm.
New Year’s Day: open, 10am-4pm.
All other days in the festive period are open our usual opening hours as above.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free, but donations are very welcome

Children: Free, but donations are very welcome

Facilities

Car park
Toilets are closed
Accessible toilets are closed
Viewing point
Nature trails

Accessibility

How to get here

By road

Leave M2 at junction 1 and join the A228, signposted Grain. Turn left off A228 for High Halstow. In the village turn left onto Cooling Road towards Cooling. After approximately 1 mile, the reserve is signposted as a right turn.

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

Due to the remote location of the reserve, arriving by public transport is not easily achieved. We recommend that you contact the reserve for more information.

Get directions from Google Maps

View on What3Words

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 4.9Mb

Northward Hill trail guide

Contact Northward Hill

RSPB Northward Hill, Rochester ME3 8DS
northkentmarshes@rspb.org.uk
01634 222480

What will you see?

Our star species

Grey heron

Nearly 150 pairs of grey herons nest in the trees at Northward Hill.

Lapwing

In spring, lapwings come to the wet grasslands here to breed.

Little egret

Up to 50 pairs of little egrets have recently joined the grey herons in the treetop heronry at Northward Hill.

Nightingale

Each year at least 20 nightingales breed in the hedgerows and scrub. Listen for their song in April and May.

Wigeon

Large flocks of Wigeon pack onto the flooded grassland in winter.

Herons and egrets nest in woodland. Nightingales return and sing in dense undergrowth. Carpets of bluebells form mid-April-May and whitethroats sing from the scrub. Avocets nest on reservoir islands.

Hobbies hunt dragonflies over the marsh, while marsh Harriers quarter the reedbeds. You could see the rare white-letter hairstreak butterfly in the woodland, or turtle doves on overhead wires.

Swallows gather around farm buildings. Noisy jays in wood gathering acorns. Dragonflies fly over reserve in late summer. Migrating waders such as spotted redshanks and green sandpipers may be seen on the reservoirs.

Large numbers wildfowl gather on marshland floods. Wintering thrushes, finches and buntings gather in scrub. Redwings and fieldfares can be seen in the orchards below wood. 4,000-rooks look spectacular as they prepare to roost in wood.

About Northward Hill

Habitat

On a ridge overlooking the Thames Marshes, Northward Hill includes scrubland rich in nightingales and whitethroats, a lovely bluebell wood, a large rookery and a cherry orchard. It is also a working farm with cows and sheep.

The reserve also includes great swathes of flat marshes, where lapwings, avocets breed, wigeons and teals flock in large numbers over winter.

Conservation

The marshes lost their value for wildlife when the land was drained in the 1940s. In the early 1990s, we purchased 278 ha of arable farmland and grazing marsh with the aim of restoring wetland habitats and extending the area of woodland. What were once arable fields are now grassland, and can attract up to 120 pairs of breeding waders, including avocets, lapwings and redshanks.

We manage the marsh for the benefit of the breeding wader population, wintering and migrating waterfowl, water voles and scarce invertebrates. We are continuing to improve the soil condition for invertebrates upon which feeding waders rely.

In spring, a carpet of bluebells and the song of blackcaps and nightingales fill the wood, creating a haven that is perfect for enjoying the outdoors. We continue to coppice the wood and provide rides and glades which attracts a variety of plants and caterpillars.

We aim to make the site accessible to everyone without impinging on our conservation priorities. The reserve is usually a place of quiet beauty but it is also a working farm, so there will be occasions of more activity the entrance track can become pot-holed.

Partners

RSPB Northward Hill is a fantastic home for nature, helped by the tremendous support of many individuals, groups and organisations. In addition to RSPB members and supporters, local community members and a tireless team of volunteers, we would particularly like to thank the following organisations for their financial support:

Biffa Award through the Landfill Community Fund
Bretts Environmental Trust through the Landfill Community Fund
CEMEX Community Fund through the Landfill Community Fund
Douglas Glanfield Memorial Trust
Future Jobs Fund
Gravesham Borough Council
Heritage Lottery Fund
Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust through the Landfill Community Fund
Natural England through Defra
SITA through the Landfill Community Fund
WREN/FCC Environment through the Landfill Community Fund

Site information

As a great place for nature the woodland and reedbed at Northward Hill is recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Natura 2000 site.

Please remember this is a working farm, there may be occasional vehicles on some trails and livestock can be in the fields and orchard.

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Activities and events

Activities for children and families

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

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