Radipole Lake

Address: Radipole Lake Visitor Centre, Weymouth DT4 7TZ

Grid ref: SY675795

What3Words: assume.quit.shall

Nestled in the centre of Weymouth, the reedbeds of Radipole Lake are an unlikely urban home to some stunning wildlife, including fabulous birds like bearded tits and kingfishers, and elusive creatures such as otters and water voles.

Plan your visit

Nature reserve: open daily, at all times.
Discovery Centre: open Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm.
Refreshments: available Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm. Eat-in or take away.
Toilets: available when Discovery Centre is open.

Festive opening times

10 December: nature reserve open dawn-dusk, Discovery Centre closed.
Christmas Eve: nature reserve open dawn-dusk, Discovery Centre closed.
Christmas Day: nature reserve open dawn-dusk, Discovery Centre closed.
Boxing Day: nature reserve open dawn-dusk, Discovery Centre closed.
New Year’s Eve: nature reserve open dawn-dusk, Discovery Centre closed.
New Year’s Day: nature reserve open dawn-dusk, Discovery Centre closed.
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.

Car park cost: There is no RSPB car park here. We're right next to Swannery car park which is run by Dorset Council and is pay and display. Please see their website for details.

Facilities

Visitor centre
Car park
Toilets
Accessible toilets
Baby changing
Pushchair friendly
Refreshments
Picnic area
Binocular hire is closed
Guided walks
Viewing point
Nature trails
Educational facilities

Accessibility

Download full accessibility statement (PDF)

How to get here

By train

Weymouth station is less than 400m away. Head south from the station and then west along King Street, cross at the junction, continuing west to the Swannery car park.

By bus

Any bus travelling to Weymouth will stop within half a mile of the reserve, either at the bus depot, or the Kings Statue stop on the sea front.

By bike

This reserve is on Route 26 of the National Cycle Network, it travels down the west side of the reserve.

By road

RSPB Radipole Lake is located next to the Swannery car park (also known as the Beach car park on brown signs) in Weymouth. If using a satnav, the postcode for this is DT4 7TY. There are brown signs for RSPB Radipole Lake on the approach roads.

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

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RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Dogs are welcome on the designated dog friendly trails on the nature reserve. Please keep to the designated routes only.

Please keep your dog on a short lead at all times due to the sensitive wildlife, habitats and livestock here.

The special surroundings at Radipole Lake are wonderful havens for rare wildlife so we’ve created designated dog-friendly routes for you and your pooch to enjoy.

Even if dogs are very well behaved, wildlife and livestock can easily become startled by a loose 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 here by keeping your dog on a lead.

Dog water bowls are available at the Discovery Centre, when open.
Sorry, dogs aren’t permitted in the Discovery Centre, other than assistance dogs.
There are no dog waste bins on the nature reserve, we ask that you please take dog waste home with you to dispose of.
Dogs die in hot cars, please do not leave your dog in the car when visiting us.
If you require an ‘off-lead’ walk please see Dorset Council’s dog walking areas. The nearest areas to Radipole Lake are Pavilion Beach and Preston Beach in the designated areas.

Bringing a flock? We welcome group bookings.

Please notify us of your visit in advance so we can ensure that your needs are attended to.

If you are a nature tour leader, we would love to work with you to make the most of your trip for your guests.

There is no official coach parking in the car park at Radipole Lake, but there is room for coaches to drop off and pick up visitors near the Discovery Centre.

The refreshment offer is limited at the centre so please include food orders in your enquiry.

For all group visits, please contact us at weymouth@rspb.org.uk so we can arrange your visit to your specific requirements.

Downloads

Top tips to help you make the most of your day. PDF, 867Kb

Radipole Lake map

Contact Radipole Lake

Radipole Lake Visitor Centre, Weymouth DT4 7TZ
weymouth.reserves@rspb.org.uk
01929 553360
@rspbweymouth
Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

Kingfisher

Your first encounter with a kingfisher is often a flash of blue heading down river, but at Radipole Lake you can enjoy them whilst sipping a hot drink in the company of our staff and volunteers at the Discovery Centre. They are here year round, but autumn and winter are the best times to enjoy this exotic looking bird.

Marsh harrier

Marsh harriers are one of the top predators which hunt the reed beds. Watch them year round, but in early spring look up to see their ‘skydancing’ display hundreds of metres above the reed beds.

Bearded tit

A real specialist of the reed, so much so that their other name is the bearded reedling. They are often located by their pinging call, but on calm days are readily seen feeding off the seed heads of the reeds.

Cetti's warbler

For a small bird these really make a racket! Their short but blasting song can be heard from the scrub year round, but are best seen in early March when males are most territorial.

Nature spectacles

This is a great place to see bearded tits in Autumn. They feed close to the discovery centre - you don't even need binoculars!

Flocks of swallows and martins gather over the water in spring to feed on insects after their migration from Africa. Warblers also arrive, including grasshopper, willow and Cetti's warblers, blackcaps, whitethroats and lesser whitethroats. The reedbeds are full of singing sedge and reed warblers. You may be lucky enough to hear the boom of a bittern coming from the reedbed.

Hobbies zip through the air, hunting for small birds and dragonflies, which they catch with their feet then pass to their beaks while still flying. Flowering plants attract butterflies, such as commas, painted ladies and peacocks.

Bearded tits become easier to see, with family groups roaming the reedbeds and making their distinctive 'pinging' call. As the water levels are lowered in preparation for winter reed-cutting, the mud attracts wading birds such as dunlins, snipe, redshanks and lapwings.

You could see a bittern if you're patient - they will fly up from the reeds occasionally to get to different feeding areas. During cold snaps, water rails become much easier to see as they must feed outside the frozen-up reedbeds. There is a large roost of pied wagtails in Weymouth and the birds can often be seen at Radipole before heading into town for the night.

About Radipole Lake

Habitat

Radipole Lake is a wildlife oasis in urban Weymouth. Don’t let its central location fool you, a delightful patchwork of wetland habitats awaits. Explore hedgerow scrub, reedbeds and saline lagoons and encounter the wonderful variety of birds and insects that call them home. Look out for flocks of swallows and martins gathering over the water, see speedy hobby falcons race through the air and watch wading birds like dunlins, snipe, redshanks and lapwings search for food in the mud. If you’re a really careful listener you may even hear the boom of a bittern from the reedbed.

Conservation

We manage the site at Radipole Lake to provide the ideal conditions for the wildlife that lives here.

A yearly haircut keeps the reeds healthy and helps produce plenty of seeds to feed the hungry bearded tits. We maintain a careful balance of reedbed and scrub, ensuring the reedbed doesn’t turn into woodland and that wildlife like reed buntings and Cetti’s warblers can enjoy the scrub.

Ditch clearance gives bitterns access to food and keeps the water flowing which is crucial for the fish that live in the lake.

Managing water levels is an important part of our work at Radipole Lake. In the winter we keep them low so wading birds can feed, and to help us get into the reedbeds to do maintenance. In summer, we keep the water levels higher to help protect our breeding birds from predators on the ground.

Site information

Radipole Lake is a nature reserve hidden in the heart of Weymouth. Leave the bustle behind and follow the footpath until you’re amongst the reeds and lagoons, transported to a wildlife haven.

There are 83 hectares of the Radipole Lake reserve to explore. It’s considered such an important place for nature that it has been named a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). To find out more about this and other wildlife protections head here.

Since 1976, Radipole Lake has been managed by the RSPB for the benefit of wildlife on behalf of the site’s owners Weymouth and Portland Council.

Latest blog posts

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What people are saying about Radipole Lake

My wife and I paid our first visit to this lovely reserve. It's amazing to find this wonderful oasis in the middle of the town. We saw a kestrel almost take a pigeon from the North hide, shag, little egret, little and great crested grebes and heard the Cetti's, but no sighting. Nice visitor centre and the Staff were great - really helpful and friendly. We will come back!

Terry Wearn

First visit to this amazing reserve. I had a great time walking around the paths and hearing all the calls, especially from the loud Cetti's warbler. I was able to photograph around 7 different species in one day. I have now become a member and will be back to see the hobbys in summer and try out the hide.

Gareth Cox

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

Family-friendly events are run throughout the year including the school holidays and at weekends.

Self-guided activities including pond dipping and wildlife explorer backpacks are available from the Discovery Centre.

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

Radipole Lake