Steven Cheshire

Steven Cheshire

WildNet - Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography

Brandon Marsh

Brandon Marsh has reopened!

We want to say a massive thank you to every one of you for your patience whilst the reserve was closed and we can’t wait to welcome you back.

All facilities including bird hides are now open. Face coverings must be worn (unless exempt) when in the bird hides and social distancing guidance must be followed; please do not enter a hide if you are unable to social distance from other households.

We will not be operating a booking system, but ask that all visitors adhere to government guidelines once on site, park considerately in the carpark and please do ask a member of staff in the visitor centre if you have any questions. All visitors will need to wear a face covering when in the visitor centre, unless exempt.

The team have used lockdown to make some changes to the layout and look of the visitor centre to allow for better social distancing and improvements to the area between the shop and the reserve. Entry and exit will be via the visitor centre, please follow the one way system and social distancing measures in place.

Our café facilities are under new management and has been renamed The Badger’s Kitchen. The indoor seating area reopened on 17th May inline with the easing of government restrictions. We’re really excited to introduce you to a new team with a fantastic new menu and would love you all to come in, say hello and try their delicious food and drinks.

With the Government set to make an announcement on easing of restrictions on Monday the 19th of July, we want to update you on our position here at Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. Whilst the government is lifting many of the legal restrictions, the Trust’s priority is to ensure that we protect our staff, volunteers and visitors in the face of rising COVID cases. Therefore we will be keeping COVID measures in place at our visitor centres and in our bird hides, and our staff and volunteers will continue to wear masks. Please be considerate to those around you, follow instructions on our signage and wear a mask when visiting us. Thank you for helping us in our efforts to keep everyone safe!

Once again, thank you for your support and your patience through the last few months and we can’t wait to see you all exploring our wonderful nature reserve once more.

If you have any queries, please contact us on enquiries@wkwt.org.uk or 02476 302 912.

Location

Brandon Lane

Coventry

CV3 3GW

OS Map Reference

SP 386 761

Know before you go

Size

92 hectares

Entry fee

Adults - £3.50. Concessions - £2.50. Children (under 4’s free) - £2.00. Family (2 adults up to 3 children) - £9.00. Free to Wildlife Trust members with a valid membership card.

Parking information

Car park available

Bicycle parking

No bikes or scooters are permitted due to the sensitive nature of the site

Grazing animals

Walking trails

Access outside visitor centre opening times for members only. Some paths are accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs, such as the Kingfisher Trail, which takes 40 minutes and the Woodpecker Trail, which takes 20 minutes. The reserve can get muddy and some areas are known to flood. Keep scrolling to download a map or pick up a copy from the visitor centre during opening hours.

Access

Relatively flat and wheelchair-friendly, with some wheelchair accessible paths. Some areas can be muddy.

Dogs

Guide dogs only

Assistance dogs only

Facilities

Visitor centre

Bird hides

Toilets

Shop

Cafe/refreshments

Picnic area

Accessible toilet

Baby changing facilities

Wifi

Disabled parking

When to visit

Opening times

Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve, the visitor centre and the Badgers Kitchen will all be reopening on Monday 12th April, 2021.

We will be open 7 days a week, operating our regular summer opening hours of: 9.30am-4.30pm Monday-Friday and 10am-4.30pm Saturday and Sunday.

Members out of hours access will also be reinstated from Monday 12th April 2021.

Best time to visit

April to October

About the reserve

The nature reserve

Brandon Marsh is well known for the variety and quality of its pools, reedbeds, grassland and woodland. The large pools were created by gravel extraction and attract a huge variety of birds and other wildlife. There are nine hides throughout the reserve where you can get up close to the resident wildlife.

Become a member and enjoy free entry all year round! We're now asking to see membership cards when you enter Brandon Marsh, so we can monitor visitor flow. Just ask staff for further details. Thanks for your co-operation!

Find out more about membership here

What can I do?

Listen for birdsong
Bird watch from our hides
Build a den in the woods
Enjoy tea and cake in the tea room
Seek out fungi
Become a minibeast detective
Watch the serene swans

Something to look for in every season

The Visitor Centre

Relax in our peaceful orchard, climb inside a harvest mouse's nest in Mouse Manor, watch for your favourite birds from one of our hides and explore the education and sensory gardens.

Younger children can hunt for hidden plaques on the brass rubbing trail to create colourful pictures on their rubbing sheet. Then it's off to the Nature Trails to explore the wildlife habitats of the nature reserve.

If you're a first-time visitor, remember to ask at reception for a map!

Events

We run a fantastic range of events, from children's pond dipping to art exhibitions, guided walks, wildlife courses and Christmas crafts for adults. Learn a new skill like bushcraft or discover how to identify birds. Book your tickets online!

Gift Shop

Well-stocked with wildlife books, animal homes, bird seed, bird feeders and an extensive range of gifts and confectionery.

The Badger's Kitchen

Enjoy lunch or a delicious homemade cake and cuppa whilst watching the birds on our busy feeders. Gluten free and vegan options are available. For more details visit the team's website here.

View the menu.

View the children's menu.

The Education Centre

Our purpose-built classroom welcomes school visits for a variety of curriculum-related activities. Outside we have a lovely education garden, with a mud kitchen for messy play. We also have children's activities during the school holidays, and host Really Wild Birthday Parties.

Hosting a meeting?

Book our barn or other rooms for your meeting or conference! Find out more about our room rates and facilities available.

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