Strumpshaw Fen

Address: RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, Low Road, Strumpshaw, Norwich NR13 4HS

Grid ref: TG341065

What3Words: sounding.motive.lifeboats

You'll find Strumpshaw Fen on the River Yare in Norfolk, around six miles east of Norwich. The reserve itself has a full range of broadland habitats and wildlife; why not visit us and take a pleasant walk round the reedbeds, woodlands and orchid-rich meadows?

We are delighted that the landscape and wildlife of the reserve has also been used for the set of the gripping new Radio 4 drama, Song of the Reeds. Find out more about the reserve's role in the drama here.

Plan your visit

Nature reserve: open daily, dawn-dusk.
Car park: open daily, dawn-dusk.
Visitor centre: open daily, 9.30am-5pm (10am-4pm, 1 November-31 March).
Toilets: open daily, 9.30am-5pm (10am-4pm, 1 November-31 March)
Refreshments: takeaways available daily, 9.30am-5pm (10am-4pm, 1 November-31 March).

Festive opening times

Christmas Eve: nature reserve and car park open dawn-dusk. Visitor centre, refreshments and toilets open, 10am-3pm.
Christmas Day: nature reserve and car park open dawn-dusk. Visitor centre, refreshments and toilets closed.
Boxing Day: nature reserve and car park open dawn-dusk. Visitor centre, refreshments and toilets closed.
New Year’s Eve: nature reserve and car park open dawn-dusk. Visitor centre, refreshments and toilets open, 10am-3pm.
New Year’s Day: nature reserve and car park open dawn-dusk. Visitor centre, refreshments and toilets open, 10am-4pm.
All other days in the festive period are open our usual winter opening hours as above.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: £4.50

Children: £2.50 (under 18)
Free entrance for first child
Free entrance for under 5s

Student: £3

Free entrance for carers: Yes

Facilities

Visitor centre
Car park
Toilets
Baby changing
Refreshments
Picnic area
Binocular hire
Guided walks
Viewing point
Nature trails
Play area

Accessibility

Full accessibility information (external website)

How to get here

By train

A number of trains on the Norwich to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft (Wherry Lines) services call at Buckenham station by request at the weekend. Four trains each way call on Sundays and Public Holidays, one on Saturdays. Strumpshaw Fen is about a mile away, via quiet lanes.

The other nearby station is Brundall, 1.4 miles (2.3km) from the reserve. From the station walk up the hill (Station Road) towards Brundall village. At the main road turn right and walk through Brundall. Continue under the bridge towards Strumpshaw. Soon after you pass the Strumpshaw sign, turn right into Stone Road, and immediately right again into Low Road. Strumpshaw Fen nature reserve is 500m down Low Road on the right.

By bus

An hourly bus service from Norwich stops 0.7 miles (1.1 km) from the reserve on the Brundall to Strumpshaw Road at the junction of Long Lane and Stone Road (weekdays and Saturdays only). From the bus stop (arriving from the Norwich direction), walk towards Brundall for 40m, then turn left down Stone Road and immediately turn right into Low Road. Strumpshaw Fen nature reserve is 500m down Low Road on the right.

By bike

The Yare Valley cycle route runs close to the reserve. The proposed future route of National Cycle Network Route 1 also runs close to the reserve, while its current route passes on the other side of the River Yare.

By road

The reserve is best approached from the village of Brundall which lies east of Norwich just off the A47. From the A47 roundabout, drive through Brundall and continue on the same road out towards Strumpshaw. Soon after you pass the Strumpshaw sign, turn right into Stone Road, and immediately right again into Low Road. The reserve car park is 500m down Low Road on the right.

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

From Brundall (1.4 miles / 2.3 km), walk east along the High Street and continue under the bridge towards Strumpshaw. Soon after you pass the Strumpshaw sign, turn right into Stone Road, and immediately right again into Low Road. Strumpshaw Fen nature reserve is 500m down Low Road on the right.

Get directions from Google Maps

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RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Sorry, dogs are not permitted at Strumpshaw Fen, 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, with dog-owners welcome to park at Strumpshaw Fen and walk to nearby RSPB Buckenham Marshes.
Dogs die in hot cars, please do not leave your dog in the car when visiting us.

Groups are usually welcome to visit us during normal opening hours.

You may be able to hire a guide - please phone for more details.

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 1.1Mb

Strumpshaw Fen trail guide

Contact Strumpshaw Fen

RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, Low Road, Strumpshaw, Norwich NR13 4HS
strumpshaw@rspb.org.uk
01603 715191
@RSPB_Strumpshaw
Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

Barn owl

When the barn owls have young to feed, you could see them at any time of day.

Bittern

Bitterns are perfectly adapted for life in the reedbeds at Strumpshaw.

Cetti's warbler

Cetti's warblers are recent colonists of the UK that are very often hard to see.

Kingfisher

Kingfishers are a year-round attraction at Strumpshaw Fen, especially active in spring and summer.

Marsh harrier

Look for marsh harriers in spring, when pairs perform their breathtaking 'sky-dancing' displays high in the sky.

Courting pairs of marsh harriers can be seen performing their spectacular 'sky-dancing' displays. The reserve comes alive with the songs of spring migrants including sedge and reed warblers, cuckoos, grasshopper warblers and whitethroats. Swallows and swifts dart across the pools where great crested grebes and other waterfowl prepare their nests.

In summer, the fen meadow comes alive with a rich display of wild flowers including six species of orchids. The reserve is host to a wide variety of butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. This is the best time of year to spot the spectacular swallowtail butterfly (late May to early July and again in mid-August). Up to 20 kinds of dragonfly can be seen, including willow emerald and the rare Norfolk hawker.

In early autumn, ospreys are regularly seen fishing as they linger on their southward migration. Bearded tits flock together, and thousands of starlings often gather to roost. Marsh harriers gather in groups to roost.

Hundreds of ducks, including teals, gadwalls and shovelers, feed in the reedbed pools. The resident bitterns are joined by visitors from the continent, and may be seen flying over the reeds. Towards dusk, marsh and hen harriers gather to roost.

About Strumpshaw Fen

Habitat

This is a land where bitterns sneak through reedbeds, orchids bejewel meadows and in summer, the call of a cuckoo reverberates through woodlands.

Conservation

The reserve is carefully managed to make sure it has the perfect conditions for its wildlife.

We remove scrub and invasive plants from our reedbeds and cattle are allowed to graze, and in summer we also give them a mow.

Our fenland meadow is looked after with its plant life and breeding snipe in mind. We do this by changing the water levels, clearing rushes, mowing and bringing in the cattle to graze and create boggy patches.

The vast flocks of wintering waterfowl and breeding waders benefit from the way we look after our wet grasslands. Here cattle help us out again, but we also cutback rushes, scrub and control water levels to retain boggy areas and pools.

We pretty much leave our wet woodland as nature intended, except for removing any invasive plants, protecting standing deadwood and keeping the water levels high enough in April to July. This benefits birds such as Cetti’s warblers, willow tits and bullfinches.

We keep our ponds, pools and ditches in peak condition for otters, bitterns, water voles and rare aquatic plants. We do this by maintaining ditch edges, removing vegetation from open pools, improving the water quality and increasing the number of fish.

Site information

Strumpshaw Fen is part of the Mid Yare Valley, along with several other RSPB Reserves:

The reserve’s habitat is protected in a number of ways, including being a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Special Ara of Conservation (SAC). To find out more about these, head here.

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What people are saying about Strumpshaw Fen

What a glorious visit we had today. We saw not one but THREE Kingfishers!! They even showed us their skills at diving!! Magical. There were Marsh harriers and Egrets in flight, as well as Herons. But the real stars were the magnificent Kingfishers. The staff there are most friendly, welcoming and helpful. We will be visiting often as we are only 3/4 hour away. Can't wait for the next time, definitely worth a visit.

M Jones

Had a great day out with my daddy and sister. Everyone was really nice and helpful. We saw a bittern and a kingfisher, also lots of butterflies and dragonflies. Thank you.

Natasha Mullan

We had a fantastic day out at Strumpshaw Fen. The staff were very friendly and helpful. From the visitor center we saw a bittern, which showed itself on a couple of occasions, and a marsh harrier perched in a tree giving us an excellent sighting. As we were leaving, a small flock of goldcrests landed on a tree close to the visitors center. We will certainly visit again next time we visit Norfolk.

Mr and Mrs Paul Welch

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/strumpshawfen

Children can explore the wildlife of the reserve all year round with a Wildlife Explorer backpack (£3 per pack).
Pond dipping kit is available to hire from 1 April - 31 October (£3 per kit). Simply pick up your kit from the reception hide, no booking required.
Seasonal family trails are provided in school holidays.

Strumpshaw Fen