Ouse Washes

Please note that due to essential work that is being done by the Environment Agency, the majority of the hides on the reserve will be closed from Sunday 15 July - Tuesday 31 October inclusive. For more information see the viewing points section under facilities information.

Address: RSPB Ouse Washes, Manea, Welches Dam, March PE15 0NF

Grid ref: TL471860

The Ouse Washes forms the largest area of washland (grazing pasture that floods in the winter) in the UK. In winter it attracts thousands of ducks and whooper swans returning from Iceland, while the warmer spring months bring hundreds of snipe, lapwings and redshanks to breed.

Plan your visit

Open at all times.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free

Children: Free

Car park cost

Free for members.

Non-members are requested to pay £3 to help keep the reserve a special place for wildlife.

Facilities

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

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Manea Station is 5km from the reserve. Head into the village then turn left opposite the pub. Turn left at the next T-junction towards Welches Dam.

By bus

There are buses to Manea (At 9.58am, 11.58am, 1.58pm and 3.58pm.) The reserve is 2.5 miles (4 km) from the village.

By bike

The nearest bus route is March to Wisbech.

By road

Follow directions to Manea. Entering the village, turn right at the RSPB sign towards Welches Dam, continuing to the signposted car park.

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

Walk 4 km from Manea village, taking the road opposite the Rose and Crown pub, following signs to Welches Dam. Turn left at the next T-junction towards Welches Dam.

Get directions from Google Maps

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Group bookings are accepted.

20 degrees, Light rain

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 177Kb

Ouse Washes trail guide

Contact Ouse Washes

RSPB Ouse Washes, Manea, Welches Dam, March PE15 0NF
ouse.washes@rspb.org.uk
01354 680212
@RSPBFens
Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

Black-tailed godwit

Flocks of black-tailed godwits can be seen on the floods in spring and autumn.

Garganey

Garganeys are unusual ducks which migrate to Africa for winter.

Snipe

These cryptically-coloured waders can be seen here throughout the year.

Tree sparrow

Subtly different from the more familiar house sparrow, tree sparrows are much less common.

Wigeon

During winter, flocks of wigeons are a daily sight, with several thousand often on the reserve.

Spring sees the return of breeding waders and wildfowl and the passage of migrants. Lapwings, snipe and redshanks breed, along with avocet, garganey, mallards, gadwalls, shovelers, tufted ducks, shelducks and swans.

The summer is a difficult time to view birds due to the long grass. Yellow wagtails can be seen on the banks and you could catch a glimpse of a kingfisher. Marsh harriers sail past the hides and little egrets, hobbies and barn owls are a regular sight. Dragonflies are also present.

The beginning of the autumn is the beginning of the transitional period for migrating birds. The real action starts at the end of October with the return of migrating wildfowl, and the first of the Bewick's swans returning. Cranes are now a regular feature, most easily spotted late in the afternoon. Hobby can be seen taking dragonflies over the meadows

The winter months can host some of the most spectacular birding opportunities available in the eastern region. The reserve maintains 100,000 wildfowl and waders. You can see whooper and Bewick's swans from Iceland and northern Europe. Hen harriers, short-eared owls, peregrines and merlins hunt.

About Ouse Washes

Habitat

Ouse Washes consist mainly of wetland and washland.

Conservation

Conservation work is currently focused on habitat restoration and management of this internationally important wetland.

More than 2,000 grazing cattle will help manage the grass sward, while thinning and coppicing will improve willow and osier beds. Most of the reserve's grasslands have never been ploughed, so we are retaining traditional cattle grazing and hay mowing as the best form of conservation management. We also protect use regular patrols and predator control.
We are maintaining the wet grassland for birds all year round. In summer, the Ouse Washes attract huge numbers of nationally important wading birds, such as lapwing and black-tailed godwit.
We are maintaining the ditches and open watercourses for their plant life, and managing the osier beds, mature willows and hawthorn hedgerows for their invertebrate communities.
A tranquil amenity for local people and visitors, facilities such as information displays, hides and paths are also being refurbished and updated.
We regularly monitor wintering waterfowl and breeding birds, as well as vegetation structure, water quality, aquatic plants, invertebrates and other key biodiversity components.
This nature reserve is part of the Wildlife Guardians Scheme, which is supported by the SITA Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund (formerly the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme), and Scottish and Southern Energy plc.

Site information

The Ouse Washes forms the largest area of washland (grazing pasture that floods in the winter) in the UK. It is an area which holds SSSI, Ramsar and Natura 2000 status.

Our bird watching hides are open at all times, but are best for birdwatching from December to March.