West Sedgemoor

Access to this reserve is by pre-booked guided walks only. The guided walk programme will restart late in 2021 please check back for updates. Please see our Covid-19 updates page for the latest safety information and which nature reserves are open near you (link below).  Thank you.

Address: RSPB West Sedgemoor, Red Hill, Curry Rivel, Langport TA10 0PH

Grid ref: ST391252

What3Words: allows.postings.dairy

See our reserves Covid-19 updates page for which sites are open and other important details.

Located in the Somerset Levels and Moors, the West Sedgemoor reserve is part of England's largest remaining wet meadow system. As such, it is home to large populations of breeding waders in the summer and wildfowl in winter.

Plan your visit

Access on pre-booked guided walks only.
Surrounding footpaths open at all times.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free

Children: Free

Facilities

Guided walks is closed
Viewing point

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

The nearest station is Taunton, 11 miles (18 km) away.

By bus

The First Somerset & Avon Taunton to Yeovil bus service 54 stops in Fivehead and Curry Rivel.

By bike

This reserve is close to Route 33 of the National Cycle Network.

By road

Park in the village of Curry Rivel, south-west of Langport, or at our nearby nature reserve at Swell Wood.

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

For now, public access to the reserve itself is limited to our guided walks. We'll send you full directions to the reserve itself when you book onto a guided walk. Alternatively, there is an excellent network of footpaths west of Curry Rivel that provide superb views over the reserve. An Ordnance Survey map is essential to help you find your way around.

Get directions from Google Maps

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RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Dogs are welcome on the public footpaths around the reserve. Please keep to the designated rights of way only.

Please keep your dog on a lead and under close, effective control at all times, due to the sensitive wildlife, habitats and livestock 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 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 and under close, effective control.

• Sorry, dogs aren’t permitted on guided walks other than assistance dogs.
• Dogs can die in hot cars, please do not leave your dog in the car when visiting us.
• There are no dog waste bins on the reserve, we ask that you take the waste home with you to dispose of.

Due to Covid-19, we are not able to take group bookings at present.

For group visits, please contact the West Sedgemoor office at west.sedgemoor@rspb.org.uk for a booking form and for costs. Please be aware that we may not be able to accommodate your preferred date.

Contact West Sedgemoor

RSPB West Sedgemoor, Red Hill, Curry Rivel, Langport TA10 0PH
west.sedgemoor@rspb.org.uk
01458 252805
@RSPBGreylake

What will you see?

Our star species

Golden plover

Listen for the wild calls of the skittish golden plover flocks as they wheel and flicker in the sky.

Crane

Small flocks of Eurasian cranes can be seen on fields throughout autumn and winter. Keep an eye out for these massive birds flying around the local area.

Hobby

Many can be seen in the spring as they pass through, and August and September are great for seeing young from the few pairs that nest locally.

Buzzard

Buzzards can be seen all year round, sometimes scrapping with other birds of prey such as marsh harriers and peregrines.

Wigeon

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

Nature spectacles

Come on a guided walk and look for dragonflies and damselflies hunting along the hedgerows and ditches and enjoy the wildflowers in the meadows. Watch out for hobbies chasing dragonflies on one of our guided walks or from the public footpaths along the ridge. Delight in the trill of skylarks high above the meadows and listen for warblers in the ditches. In winter marvel at the numbers of ducks feeding out in the fields and watch as they are spooked up into the air by a passing bird of prey.

Listen for curlews calling and displaying over the wet meadows. The hedgerows are full of the song from newly-arrived migrant birds such as whitethroats, lesser whitethroats, blackcaps and spotted flycatchers.

See dragonflies and damselflies hunting along the hedgerows and ditches and being hunted themselves by hobbies. Skylarks sing high above the moorland fields and well-hidden quails may call from below.

Watch out for roe deer browsing in the fields and buzzards soaring high over the wooded ridge above the moor. See large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter.

Large flocks of teals, wigeons, lapwings and golden plovers gather to feed, or fly in at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm. These flocks attract birds of prey such as peregrines, merlins and hen harriers.

About West Sedgemoor

Habitat

The site comprises a large expanse of wet grassland which is often flooded in the winter. Access out onto the wetland is not possible except on guided walks, but great views can be had from the public footpaths amongst the hedgerows, woodland and steep slope to the south. This area can be great for spotting a wide range of wildlife, while enjoying the views across the moor to the Quantock Hills in the distance.

Conservation

To keep the hay meadows and pastures special for wildlife, we control water levels, graze cattle and cut hay to create ideal habitats for ground-nesting birds. The hay meadow management is also especially important for the rare plant communities that West Sedgemoor is famous for. Our hedgerows are managed using traditional methods benefiting birds, small mammals and butterflies. Water voles and otters breed here too.

In winter, the controlled flooding on the wet meadows attracts birds in their thousands - ducks such as wigeons, teals, shovelers, pintails and mallards and wading birds such as golden plovers, snipe and lapwings.

Site information

West Sedgemoor is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) site as part of England's largest remaining wet meadow system. Set among the Somerset Levels and Moors, it has the largest lowland population of breeding wading birds such as lapwings, snipe, curlew and redshanks in southern England.

The reserve has restricted access to protect ground-nesting birds and over-wintering flocks. Come on one of our guided walks to get special access to our winter viewing station.

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