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Welcome

RSPB Lakenheath Fen is a 400+ hectare nature reserve, created in 1995 when the RSPB bought an area of intensively-farmed arable land beside the river Little Ouse. Over the next couple of years, the charity re-shaped the land and turned it into a mosaic of fen, wet grassland and reedbed, designed primarily to attract breeding bitterns; a bird at serious risk of extinction in the UK at the time.

Since then, bitterns have flourished, and the reserve had become a haven for other wildlife, including bearded tits, hobbies and dragonflies. We are open to the public every day, with a friendly and welcoming Visitor Centre, refreshments, toilet facilities and several miles of trails to explore!

A view of the front of the Visitor Centre, with the toilet block to the left of the main door.

Level access

The main entrance has level access.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Welcome/Information deskAccessible / baby changing toiletPin badges and cards

There is level access from the car park to:

Visitor Centre picnic area
The hide entrance has level access.

Hearing

We have a hearing loop in Inside the Visitor Centre.

General

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.
There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.

Getting here

RSPB Lakenheath Fen Visitor Centre, Station Road,
Lakenheath
Brandon
IP27 9AD

Travel by public transport

You can get to RSPB Lakenheath Fen by bus and train.
The reserve is served by the on-demand Brecks Bus service. This service will stop at the reserve's roadside entrance. The Brecks Bus service takes bookings from 9am to 4pm (Monday to Friday) and can provide transport between 7am and 7pm (Monday to Saturday). Please use 01638 664304 or visit www.suffolkonboard.com for a downloadable pdf. flyer for the service. If alighting from the bus on the eastern side of the road (south-bound) please take care on the uneven grass verge. The reserve-side western (northbound) side is hard and level and suitable for the infirm. The bus stop is 0 miles / 0.0 km from RSPB Lakenheath Fen.
The nearest train station is Lakenheath. The train station is 0.1 miles / 0.2 km from RSPB Lakenheath Fen.

These distances are to the edge of the reserve itself, and if walking from the train station, along a well-maintained grass verge. The Visitor Centre is a further 0.4 miles down the entrance track (heading west). This track is level, clean and broad and although pedestrians share it with vehicles, it is a quiet track with plenty of space to pass one another safely.

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with Brandon Taxis by calling 07506 983514. You can get a taxi with Buzz Cars Brandon by calling 01842 773355. You can get a taxi with Border Cars by calling 07799 800136.

Parking

We have a car park. There are accessible parking spaces. Parking is free.
The nearest drop-off point would be our main car park, approximately 150 metres from the entrance to the Visitor Centre across level and even ground. From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. The route is 1410mm wide, or more.
Watch the video: The journey from the car park to the main entrance
The bridge on part of the path from the car park to the main entrance, showing its construction.

Arrival

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.
The path is 1000mm wide, or more.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.
The door is 1570mm wide.
The main door is side hung and manual.

During Visitor Centre opening hours (9am to 5pm daily) there will always be a volunteer or member of staff on hand to open the doors. Outside of these hours, a wooden side-gate will be open, held open by a padlock.

A photograph of the main entrance door. Both side-hanging doors can be opened for access.

Getting around inside

Visual Impairment - General Information

An image showing the inside of the Visitor Centre and the lighting levels.

Ticket/ information desk

Welcome/Information desk

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The route is 1660mm wide, or more.

The desk is approximately 1 metre high, but generally isn't used by visitors, but by volunteers and staff instead. Conversations are generally had away from this desk, items are handed out and payments made not really using the desk- the desk is there to hold the till and other items for staff and volunteers to use.

Things to See and Do

We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.

Public toilet

Accessible / baby changing toilet

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 840mm wide, or more.
The toilet door is 840mm wide.
The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the left.
There is 700mm at the side of the toilet. There is 800mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

There is also an emergency pull-cord, a grab rail on the door, a low-positioned door lock (with a large handle), a basin, sanitary waste bin and hand-dryer.

The inside of the accessible toilet. The inside of the accessible toilet.

Shop

Pin badges and cards

From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. The route is 1660mm wide, or more. The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.

We sell a small range of small items, such as RSPB pin badges, greetings cards, postcards and prints by a local artist.

Place to eat and drink

Indoor seating

To get to a table, there are no steps.
The dining area is self-service. If you need table service, staff can help you.
The route through the dining area is 800mm wide, or more.
There is no background music.
We cater for sugar free (diabetic), vegetarian, gluten free (celiacs), lactose free (dairy free) and vegan specific diets.

We sell hot drinks (made using a coffee machine) in takeaway cups and sell a range of cold pre-packed snacks, such as flapjacks, cereal bars and crisps, some of which are gluten and/or dairy-free, and/or vegan. We also sell ice-creams and vegan sorbet too.

We have a limited amount of indoor seating with views of bird feeders.

The self-service coffee machine, with milk in the fridge below and snacks to the right. The seating area indoors, with moveable tables and chairs.

Getting around outside

Designated Walking Trail

Brandon Fen family/accessible trail

The trail is 1600metres long. The trail has a hard surface. The trail has seats.

The path is at least 1200mm wide throughout the trail.

Our reserve map showing our trails, routes and a brief description of the wildlife that can be seen on each trail.

Designated Walking Trail

Trial Wood trail

The trail is 1600metres long. Some of the trail has a loose surface. Some of the trail has cobbles.
The trail is sloped. The trail has seats.

Trial Wood trail can be uneven in places, and is grassed so can be slippery after rain or early in the morning. It is a circular 1600m route which begins at our New Fen accessible car park. Walking from the Visitor Centre would add another 1000m. 

Our reserve map showing our trails, routes and a brief description of the wildlife that can be seen on each trail.

Designated Walking Trail

East Wood trail

The trail is 2400metres long. Some of the trail has a loose surface. Some of the trail has cobbles.
There is a small ditch and two short bridges along the northern edge of this route- the ditch making it likely impassable to wheelchair-users. The trail is sloped. The trail has seats.
Our reserve map showing our trails, routes and a brief description of the wildlife that can be seen on each trail.

Designated Walking Trail

Main Circular trail

The trail is 4800metres long. Some of the trail has a loose surface. Some of the trail has cobbles.
The trail is sloped. The trail has seats. There are bird hides along the trail.

Mere Hide is accessed via a hard-surfaced track and boardwalk (with passing places) which leads off due south from the main track through the reserve (east to west).

Our reserve map showing our trails, routes and a brief description of the wildlife that can be seen on each trail.

Mere Hide

At the hide entrance, there is level access. The door is 800.00mm wide.
There are low windows in the hide, so wheelchair users can see outside.

Picnic Area

Visitor Centre picnic area

From the car park to the picnic area, there is level access. The path is 1410mm wide, or more.
The entrance is 1410mm wide.
Some tables have space for wheelchair users. You can bring your own food to the picnic area.

Some of our tables are hexagonal, with sections of seating absent to allow a wheelchair-user to pull up underneath and use the table. Our other tables are rectangular, and allow for a wheelchair-user to sit at the ends, where there are no benches.

Customer care support

Accessibility equipment

We have a hearing loop in Inside the Visitor Centre.

Parking permits (free of charge) for drivers who wish to use our accessible car park at New Fen- this area has space for around six cars, and enables visitors to access parts of the reserve with much less walking involved than if they were to walk from the Visitor Centre. For example, New Fen viewpoint is roughly 70m from this car park, or 1100m from the Visitor Centre, on foot.

Permits are collected from the Visitor Centre during opening hours (9am to 5pm daily) and returned here by 4pm. Please display your permit on your vehicle's dashboard when parked at New Fen.

Guide info
Any information, comments and views made available to users via this Accessibility Guide are provided directly from third party business operators. VisitEngland and VisitScotland do not endorse or validate this information. Any reliance on this Accessibility Guide is at your own risk. This guide is not intended to be a substitute for users making their own checks, inquiries and investigations directly with the business operators prior to making any booking or visiting the venue.