Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve

Westhay Moor

Westhay Moor - Paul Eaton

Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve

Please note the central path through Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve will be temporarily closed from 16 September until 1st October 2024. The closure will affect the entirety of the central path through the reserve, aside from Viridor Hide near the entrance. There will also be no access to the Tower Hide during this time. 

Westhay Moor is part of the mystical Avalon Marshes within Somerset's historic Levels and Moors. It provides a home for rare wildlife and a unique insight into thousands of years of shifting landscape.

Location

Westhay Moor,
Westhay
Glastonbury
Somerset
BA6 9TX

OS Map Reference

ST 456 437

View on What3Words

A static map of Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve

Know before you go

Size
106 hectares
image/svg+xmlP

Parking information

Reserve car park at ST 456 437 is reached via the minor road between Westhay village and Godney. See more parking information below.
image/svg+xml

Bicycle parking

Bike rack available at the reserve. National Cycle Network Route 3 runs through the village of Westhay.
image/svg+xml

Grazing animals

Yes - Exmoor ponies and cattle present in summer and autumn.
image/svg+xml

Walking trails

Starting at the car park you will be met with the first signpost that will give you the choice of taking the 3km long Otter trail, marked by Otter footprints on way-markers, or the 1.6km Coot trail, marked by Coot footprints. Whichever trail you choose they both lead to the first hide of the reserve, the Viridor Hide, and following the Otter trail you will also be led to the Tower Hide, a great place to take in the view of reedbeds and wet woodlands of Alder and Willow.

Fancy a Guided walk?

image/svg+xml

Access

Access is along rights of way or permissive reserve paths only. There are some all weather paths but others can be very wet and muddy in winter. Several bird watching hides some with wheelchair ramps, see map.

Dogs

image/svg+xmlAssistance dogs only

Please note dogs are not allowed on the paths through the reserve, or in any of the hides. Dogs under close control are permitted on the two gravel tracks leading from the road (London Drove and Dagg’s Lane Drove), but please do not allow them to go into the water or undergrowth.  Accredited assistance dogs are allowed in all areas.

image/svg+xmli

Facilities

Bird hides
Disabled parking

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

All year round

About the reserve

Internationally acclaimed, Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve is one of the jewels in the crown of Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Nature Reserves and is situated in the centre of the internationally acclaimed and award-winning Avalon Marshes area on the Somerset Levels. Reclaimed from the remnants of industrial-scale peat extraction, and home to the largest surviving remnant of lowland acid mire in the South West. 

It is a mecca for wildlife all year round but particularly in the Spring when bittern can be heard booming, and where tens of thousands of overwintering birds make it their home. It is home to 7 of the 9 UK breeding herons and has fabulous resident populations of wading birds, wildfowl and is home to otters, beguiling numbers of dragonflies and also raptors such as hobbies, marsh harrier, peregrine and the odd hen harrier.

Peat can capture a whole load of carbon so it’s becoming increasingly important as part of a broader effort for natural climate change adaptation in Somerset.

Natural England’s Shapwick Heath reserve and RSPB Ham Wall are also close by.

We’ve now created a full StreetView tour of two of the reserves in the Avalon Marshes. You can access a virtual tour from the link below!  As well as viewing the virtual tours on your computer or smart phone/tablet you can also view them in a VR headset to access a fully immersive experience.

Virtual tours

Contact us

Somerset Wildlife Trust
Contact number: 01823 652400

Extra parking information

It costs £3 per visit to park at the Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve car park.

Season tickets are available at the following charges. £65 for an annual pass and £40 for 6 months and are available to purchase from pweparkingpermits.co.uk.

For additional parking information click here

Downloadable reserve maps and leaflets