Cley and Salthouse Marshes, Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Cley Marshes Visitor Centre Credit Richard Osbourne — Cley Marshes Visitor Centre. Credit: Richard Osbourne

What is it? Only the king of bird reserves. One of the oldest in the country and a magnet for rare birds from around the world (and eager twitchers in hot pursuit!). With a visitor centre, café, shop and boardwalks to boot, it also has all the makings of a family-friendly outing.

Wildlife wonders: Flit between six hides overlooking lagoons and reedbeds, and keep your eyes peeled for the likes of spoonbills, snow buntings and marsh harriers. Rare spots have included a white-crowned sparrow from North America and a Pacific Swift – luckily for us, autumn is one of the best times to catch a glimpse of uncommon feathered friends. Highlight? The chance to clock a spoonbill – you won’t miss it (it’s got a beak shaped like, well, a spoon). Until 2010, it hadn’t bred in Norfolk for centuries and still gets birders excited.

Facilities? An award-winning visitor centre, well-stocked gift shop, exhibition gallery, toilets, and café with panoramic marsh views to warm up in after a morning birding. Its calendar is chocka with events, from walks and talks to fun for the kids.

Routes and rambles: Reach four of the six hides via pushchair-friendly boardwalks, or meander along the path from the reserve to Cley village. There’s plenty of opportunities to rest weary legs at the hides and picnic tables in the car park.

Perfect pitstop: Wiveton Hall Café, a café in the grounds of a swish country house, is just down the road for an artisan feast and marsh views. Foodies also shouldn’t miss The Wiveton Bell and its cool tipi.

The reserve is open dawn til dusk and the visitor centre from 10am to 5pm until the start of November (and 10am to 4pm after then). Dogs aren’t allowed on the reserve, but they can have a sniff down Beach Road, and you can see parts of the reserve from there. Full rules are this way.

Pensthorpe

Group of flamingos in water at Pensthorpe reserve, Norfolk

What is it? If you’ve got littl’uns, we’re willing to bet you’re not Pensthorpe first-timers – but if the kids were running riot then nature might not have been the first thing on your mind. But with wetlands, woods, riverbanks, water meadows and five gardens, there’s all sorts of ornithology (that’s bird-spotting to me and you) highs to be had.

Wildlife wonders: Where do we start? Maybe with the flamingo and crane enclosure, where Pensthorpe’s 56 resident flamingos live. There’s even a Flamingo Fiesta Sat 30 & Sun 1 Oct (more info here). Elsewhere, pick up the binoculars and settle into one of the seven bird hides to gawk at seasonal migrants and resident birds, visit the waders, birds of prey and waterfowl at the shingle and sand island (where BBC Springwatch was filmed), walk among dragonflies and butterflies in the wildflower meadow, or get up close and personal with the reserve’s feathered friends at feeding time.

Facilities? More than you can shake a stick at, including a shop and courtyard cafè, where you can perch and peck at lunches, afternoon teas and snacks.

Routes and rambles: Five gardens to explore and designated paths for pushchairs and wheelchairs (you can also hire electric scooters). Or go off-road in the Pensthorpe Explorer to poke around usually inaccessible corners.

Perfect pitstop: You’ve got to be quick to catch this one as it closes for the season soon – Fat Cow, just five mins away, whips up juicy smash burgers in a pretty wildflower meadow (it was one of top chef Richard Bainbridge’s picks for The Guardian‘s best summer places to eat this year).

Open seven days a week – 10am til 5pm until November, then 10am to 4pm until the end of the year. Dogs are a no-go in the café, reserve, gardens or play areas, but they can settle down in the courtyard’s al fresco seating area.

Snettisham Nature Reserve, RSPB

What is it? One for folk who want a slice of rugged Norfolk. As well as the amazing lagoons, salt marshes and mudflats of The Wash, Snettisham is a bird-watchers’ paradise and the site of some seriously impressive spectaculars.

Wildlife wonders: The whirling wader spectacle. During autumn, tens of thousands of wading birds get nudged off the mudflats as the tide comes in – they take off all at once, which makes for a super-special sight. It’s a highlight of the Norfolk birding calendar. The next chance to witness it is at 5pm on Thu 28 Sep, but there’s a timetable here. Then, from November, pink-footed geese arrive in their thousands – it’s worth a trip to see them take off and land en masse (that window is open from Tue 14 – Thu 30 Nov).

Facilities? Not many. The nearest loo and visitor centre is 10 mins down the road at Heacham Beach South.

Routes and rambles: Three trails, including a circular 2km jaunt that gives you a good overview of the gorgeous landscape. There are some steps, so it’s not ideal if you’ve got a pushchair in tow.

Perfect pitstop: Nip to posh village pub The Rose and Crown for a post-ramble vino, or The Old Bank for Michelin Guide-worthy eats.

The reserve is open around the clock. Dogs on leads are allowed.

Strumpshaw Fen, RSPB

Strumpshaw Fen RSPB Credit Andy Hay — Strumpshaw Fen, RSPB. Credit: Andy Hay

What is it? Strumpshaw Fen is tucked away in Norfolk’s country lanes, perched on the River Yare and about six miles outside the city. There’s reedbeds, woodlands and meadows to explore and wildlife galore. Tonnes to keep little ones happy too – an adventure trail with den-building (open all day) and pond-dipping kits for hire until the end of October.

Wildlife wonders: In autumn, catch an amazing starling murmuration, when thousands of the birds swoop and swirl together, and in winter hundreds of ducks feed in reedbed pools. In spring, look to the skies to spot Norfolk speciality squawker the marsh harrier, while in summer it’s the season of the rare swallowtail butterfly. Elsewhere, there’s barn owls, bitterns, cuckoos, butterflies and too many critters to count.

Facilities? A visitor centre, toilets, takeaway light refreshments and picnic benches – enough to keep you fed and watered.

Routes and rambles: A 2.4-mile Fen Trail (about an hour and a half in total, though part of it closes from October until March), the 1.1-mile Woodland Trail and the 0.3-mile Meadow Trail, which is only open in spring and summer. All are gentle, but paths are uneven.

Perfect pitstop: Combine it with a trip to nearby Buckenham Marshes, another RSPB site just down the road which is one of only two places where Taiga Bean Geese regularly spend their winter. After, East Hills café at Brundall marina is five minutes away – tuck into a pancake stack as you watch the boats sail by.

The reserve is open dawn to dusk, but the visitor centre is open from 9.30am to 5pm until November, and 10am to 4pm after. No dogs, we’re afraid.

Titchwell Marsh, RSPB

What is it? A dreamy slice of wild Norfolk, with reedbeds, saltmarsh and freshwater lagoons, not to mention the secluded sandy Titchwell beach. Think day at the coast meets bird-spotting with no shortage of foodie pitstops.

Wildlife wonders: It’s teeming with nature – wading birds, wildfowl and geese gather from mid-autumn, and the lagoons fill up with both migrant and local birds. Don’t miss marsh harriers soaring over the reedbeds as the light falls in autumn. Avocets (the bird on the RSPB logo) can be seen all year round.

Facilities? A visitor centre based around a courtyard – there’s a shop and café serving up soups, cakes, hot snacks (including meat-free options) and even a kids menu.

Routes and rambles: Five signposted trails, all wide enough for a pushchair. The Autumn Trail (open until October) offers a front row seat for autumn migration. For a walk with the kids, take the Fen and Meadow Trail – it’s a loop of about 500 metres and takes in the pond-dipping platform, where little ones can spot bugs, bees and butterflies.

Perfect pitstop: Foodie paradise Thornham is on the doorstep – pick from the likes of Thornham Deli, The Orange Tree or Eric’s Fish and Chips (the perfect end to a day by the sea, we reckon).

The reserve is open around the clock. The welcome hub, shop and café are open from 9.30am to 4.30pm and toilets from 9am to 5pm. Keep dogs on leads – there’s a dog-friendly trail across the reserve.

Holme Dunes, Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Holmes Dunes. Credit Richard Osbourne — Holmes Dunes, NWT. Credit Richard Osbourne

What is it? Up in the north-west, Holme Dunes is a mecca for migrating birds and one of the county’s most undisturbed beaches. There’s military remains from the Second World War to spot, and it was also the home of Seahenge, the Bronze Age timber circle unearthed in 1998 (that’s now in Lynn Museum).

Wildlife highlights: Autumn birding highlights include the black-tailed godwit, pied flycatcher, curlew, ringer plover and redshank, and in winter there’s snow buntings, pink-footed geese and lapwings to glimpse. Natterjack toads, butterflies and dragonflies also call it home. Visit in the late afternoon on a calm day and you might get a glimpse of a barn owl cruising stealthily over the marshes – Holme Dunes is one of the best places to spot them.

Facilities? A visitor centre with a small shop, information displays and refreshments.

Routes and rambles: A trio of bird-watching hides and rambles galore – the Holme Dunes Coastal Walk is between three and five miles (depending on where you start) and takes in sandy dunes, mud flats, salt marshes, water meadows and pine forests. Get the sand between your toes!

Perfect pitstop: The Gin Trap Inn at Ringstead, a 17th century pub with a menu packed with local goodies, is only 15 minutes away.

Open from 10am to 5pm every year (the visitor centre closes an hour earlier from November to spring). Dogs are allowed, but only to certain areas at certain times – keep an eye out for signs.

Berney Marshes and Breydon Water, RSPB

Wintering birds at Berney Marshes and Breydon Water, RSPB

What is it? A quintessentially Norfolk reserve – think big skies, marshland and even a windmill. There’s no access by car, so you’ll need to hop on the train to Berney Arms Station or take the footpath from Yarmouth. An oasis of calm.

Wildlife wonders: In autumn and winter, thousands of wintering waterfowl visit, including golden plovers, pink-footed geese and wigeons. At its peak there can be as many as 100,000 there – don’t forget your camera!

Facilities? Another back to basics reserve – there’s no visitor centre, café or toilets, so stop for a coffee on the way.

Routes and rambles: Countless trails – serious hikers can take on the 11-mile loop from Berney Arms windmill to Breydon water, but there are shorter stretches too. Paths are accessible but can get muddy.

Perfect pitstop: Jump back on the train to Reedham and spin by the Reedham Ferry. Grab a bite to eat with riverside views or holed up in the cosy pub if it’s gloomy, and have a spin on the chain ferry if it’s up and running. Pettitts Animal Adventure Park is also nearby if you’ve got the brood in tow (although it closes for the winter at end of Oct).

Open all the time. Well-behaved dogs are allowed on public footpaths.

Blakeney National Nature Reserve, National Trust

Terns and seals at Blakeney National Trust. CREDIT National Trust Images_Ian Ward — Credit: National Trust Images_Ian Ward

What is it? Blakeney might be popular with day-trippers, but it’s also an internationally recognised nature reserve home to seal and tern colonies, salt marshes, Blakeney Point and sandy dunes. There’s a lifeboat house at the Point which gives a fascinating insight into the area.

Wildlife wonders: The autumn migrants walk on Sat 28 Oct is an opportunity to learn about the birds who choose to spend their winters here and hopefully witness thousands of pink-footed geese come in to roost for the night. In summer, the reserve is all about the huge breeding tern colonies, but it’s probably best-known for being home to England’s largest grey seal population – over 4,000 pups are born there each winter. Common and grey seals can be spotted most of the year – hop aboard one of the ferry boat trips from Morston Quay for a close-up view. Twitchers flock there to glimpse rare migrant and vagrant birds like brown shrikes, flycatchers, icterine warblers and wrynecks.

Facilities? Find the visitor centre at Morston Quay, where there’s toilets and a café kiosk serving coffee and pastries.

Routes and rambles: Something for everyone – the family and dog-friendly Blakeney Freshes and Friary Hills circular walk takes in three different habitats over two miles and boasts great views of the reserve. For more of a trek, there’s the Blakeney Point Coastal walk, which is seven miles and not suitable for pushchairs (or dogs).

Perfect pitstop: Blakeney is a fab jumping off point for a day by the coast – dive into fresh seafood platters at The White Horse, which is within walking distance. Chic Holt is only 15 mins away in the car – you’ll find us cosied up in B&B and café Byfords.

The reserve is open from dawn until dusk, and the café and lifeboat house from 10am until 4pm. Dogs are mostly welcome, but restrictions apply (particularly around Blakeney Point) from April to August due to ground nesting birds.

Ranworth Broad and Marshes, Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Broads Wildlife Centre, Ranworth. Credit: Mike Page — Credit: Mike Page

What is it? Wander along a boardwalk through woodland before emerging at Ranworth’s floating Broads Wildlife Centre and soak in the panoramic water views. It’s a tiny site – just seven acres – but it’s well worth a visit.

Wildlife wonders: Squawkers big and small – in winter, expect to see all manner of ducks (including wigeons, gadwalls, teals, shovelers and pochards – who knew there were so many?). Common terns nest in front of the centres, and you might glimpse a kingfisher if you’re lucky. Pick out the brown and white plumage of the osprey, which has a five-foot wingspan and sometimes stops off at Ranworth, or an otter diving below the water. Ranworth is also home to one of the largest colonies of cormorant in the UK.

Facilities? A gift shop, light refreshments and interactive displays.

Routes and rambles: The 750-metre boardwalk is accessible and a perfect wildlife-spotting vantage point.

Perfect pitstop: We think a chilled bevvie is the perfect way to finish up a morning of nature-spotting – luckily for us, Woodforde’s Fur and Feathers is only five mins away, with a huge beer garden.

The reserve is always open, but the visitor centre is up and running from 10am to 5pm until the end of October. No dogs.

Hickling Broad and Marshes, Norfolk Wildlife Trust

What is it? A whopping 1,400-acre nature reserve which takes in Hickling Broad. Not only is it the biggest of the Broads, it’s also home to the largest reed bed in England (a very Norfolk title). There are boat trips from April to September, but it’s perfect for a ramble anytime. Head up the 60-foot watch-tower for unbeatable views of the landscape.

Wildlife wonders: Common cranes, bitterns, bearded tits and Cetti’s warblers. In winter, marsh harriers roost in the reed beds. Sightings of barn owls are likely, and you might even see a kingfisher (a prized birding sighting, of course). There’s also Chinese water deer, red deer, otters and resident konik ponies.

Facilities? A gift shop, toilets and refreshments in the visitor centre – hire wildlife detective explorer bags for kids for £1.50 (and a £10 deposit).

Routes and rambles: Visit a pair of hides on a circular route via boardwalk. Whiteslea track gives views over the marshes – the route to the Stubb Mill raptor viewpoint point can be wet and uneven

Perfect pitstop: We can’t resist a stop-off at The Kings Arms in Fleggburgh – a picture perfect country pub with two AA rosettes to its name and the Muddy Awards 2023 Best Restaurant gong.

The reserve is open all day. and the visitor centre from 10am to 5pm until November. After that, it’s Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. No dogs allowed.

Welney Wetland Centre, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

What is it? On the Ouse Washes – between the River Great Ouse and Hundred Foot Drain – this is Britain’s biggest area of seasonally-flooded land, home to one of the most magical events in the UK’s nature calendar – the winter gathering of thousands of ducks, geese and swans.

Wildlife wonders: Everything from marsh harriers and peregrine falcons to garganeys, short-eared owls and reed buntings. In early winter, ducks from the Arctic and up to 9,000 wild Bewick’s and whooper swans land on the lakes, just in time for the centre’s floodlit feeds from Wed 1 Nov – keep cosy in the heated hide and watch the serene lagoon turn into a hive of activity as the birds crowd around for their tea. They run daily at noon and 3.30pm, as well as 6.30pm (floodlit) on weekends. Thinking ahead to summer? When the weather hots up, it’s is carpeted with wildflowers, while 300 species of butterfly and moth have been recorded there.

Facilities? A mammoth eco-friendly visitor centre. There’s exhibits on the Fens, a shop and the Wigeon Café, which has a first floor outlook over the wetlands. Visit the binocular bar to try before you buy (all the gear and no idea? Us? Never!).

Routes and rambles: There’s hides along the Lady Fen walk, summer walk (open until October) and tansy trail, as well as pond-dipping stations and dragonfly ponds where you can sit to watch the world go by.

Perfect pitstop: Nip up the A1101 to the Dial House Café in Downham Market, a pretty-as-a-picture caff behind wrought iron gates with a beautiful courtyard and delish menu.

The reserve is open around the clock. Visitor centre? 10am to 4pm. Café? 10am to 3.30pm. No dogs allowed.

Sculthorpe Moor, Hawk and Owl Trust

What is it? Forty-five-acre Sculthorpe Moor might be more pocket-sized than others on our list, but it’s a hidden gem which packs a hefty wildlife punch. At home in the Wensum Valley, there are seven hides to explore across meadow, wood, fen and wetland habitats, making it a fantastic place for children to learn about their feathered friends and beyond.

Wildlife wonders: Birds of prey, tawny owls, kingfishers, woodpeckers, waders, river flies, otters and a cornucopia of flora and fauna.

Facilities? A small visitor centre with toilets and a shop.

Routes and rambles: Bar a riverside path it’s all accessible via boardwalks so easy to navigate for little legs and pushchairs. Explore the reserve at one of its many events – head out on an owl prowl on Sat 21 Oct (you’ll finish up with a fish and chip supper at the centre) or brush up on your wildlife photography skills on Sat 2 Dec.

Perfect pitstop: We’d recommend a jolly to the fantastic Sculthorpe Mill in nearby Fakenham. Grab a table by the river if there’s some autumn sun.

Open from 8am to 4.30pm from April to October. November onwards, it closes half an hour earlier. It’s a no-dog zone.

Wheatfen Nature Reserve, Ted Ellis Trust

Wheatfen Anne Kerridge — Wheatfen Nature Reserve. Credit: Anne Kerridge

What is it? An under-the-radar treasure in the heart of the Broads. Eight miles outside Norwich, it’s ideal for city-slickers but is also adored by nature heavyweights (naturalist David Bellamy once said it was as ecologically important as Mount Everest!). Its 128 acres take in the last remaining tidal marshes and carrs on the Yare, as well as two small Broads and a nature trail.

Wildlife wonders: Birds like cuckoos and marsh harriers are just the tip of the iceberg – there’s also the yellow swallowtail butterfly, elusive Norfolk Hawker dragonfly, wildflowers and two wildlife species so rare in the UK that they’re only found at Wheatfen (the Galeruca laticollis beetle and Timmia megapolitana moss).

Facilities? A small warden’s hut with all reserve need-to-knows and toilets.

Routes and rambles: A mix of boardwalks, paths and tracks (including a two-mile romp across the marshes) – pack your wellies.

Perfect pitstop: Teles Patisserie, a Portuguese café on a working farm, is a short stroll away (it’s home to Yare Valley Oils and a farm shop). Surlingham Church Marsh RSPB reserve is only a 10-minute drive away, if you’re in the mood for a double nature dose.

Open sunrise to sunset daily. Leave the dog at home.

See, bird-watching paradise! If you’re not the outdoorsy type, don’t fret – dial up the autumnal vibes with our guide to the cosiest coffee spots for catch-ups.

Where to see bird spectacles this autumn in Norfolk – plus pitstops

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