Welcome
RSPB Strumpshaw Fen is a wetland reserve with a mixture of habitats, including reedbeds, woodland and open pools. It is home to a rich diversity of Broadland wildlife, including swallowtail butterflies, bitterns, marsh harriers,kingfishers, otters as well as many dragonfly and butterfly species.
Level access
There is level access from the main entrance to:
Reception HideMale toiletsFemale toiletsReception Hide (outdoor viewing area, with roof)Bird feeding stationThere is level access from the car park to:
Reception Picnic areaAccess with steps
There are steps from the main entrance to:
Reception Hide (inside viewing area)Hearing
Visual
General
Getting here
For further information on accessible travel in Scotland, go to Transport Scotland.Travel by public transport
Brundall station (on the Norwich to Great Yarmouth line) has the most frequent trains. Trains stop here every day and most are hourly. The station is 2.6 km (1.6 miles) from the reserve. The first 260m is uphill via a narrow lane with pavement for approx. 50m at either end. At the top turn right and follow the road for for 1260m to the junction of Long Lane and Stone Road. This section has pavements. Turn left down Stone Road and immediately turn right into Low Road. Strumpshaw Fen nature reserve is 950 m down Low Road on the right. This section is along quiet country roads, but with no pavements. The road is fairly flat but uneven in places.
Buckenham railway station is the nearest to the reserve (1.6 km / 1 mile), but trains only stop here at weekends and service is infrequent (www.greateranglia.co.uk/timetables - timetable number 8). The route from here to Strumpshaw Fen involves crossing an active railway line three times (once at Buckenham station, again mid-way along the route, and then to enter the reserve at Strumpshaw Fen). The route uses quiet country roads with no pavements.
Travel by taxi
Parking
Entry to the reserve involves crossing an active railway line. If you have mobility difficulties, poor vision, or will take time to cross, please use the phone at the crossing gate to check that no trains are coming before crossing. You can also phone the reserve in advance to ask for assistance. The surface is mostly moulded rubber panels. There is a slight (asphalt) incline at both ends of the crossing. The pedestrian gates have a clearance 1020mm.
Arrival
Path to main entrance
Main entrance
There is a short path from the car park to the reserve entrance. The path surface is earth and compacted aggregate, mostly flat but slightly uneven in places.
Entry to the reserve involves crossing a railway line. There is a pedestrian gate beside the vehicle gates, which is 1020 mm wide. There is a slight slope up to the railway track and down on the other side. There is a flat tarmac surface over the crossing, but is uneven in places and has small dips at the railway tracks
Getting around inside
Ticket/ information desk
Reception Hide
The path from the railway crossing to reception hide is mostly flat, but slopes up slightly to the reception entrance. The door to reception has a clear opening width of 770 mm and opens manually with a push-down handle, although it is often open unless it is very cold. The door opens inwards and there is a slight downward ramp sloping from the door to the floor of reception.
Inside reception, the wooden floor is flat and level for access to the reception desk and drinks machine. There is a raised area for viewing from the hide flaps – this is accessed by three steps.
Things to See and Do
Public toilet
Male toilets
Both male and female toilets have larger cubicles for wheelchair access, but these do not currently meet full requirements for disabled access.
Public toilet
Female toilets
Reception Hide (inside viewing area)
There is a viewing area outside of the hide which has the same view, this viewpoint has no steps to access it.
Reception Hide (outdoor viewing area, with roof)
The viewing area outside of Reception Hide gives views over the broad and reedbed, it has level access and is partially roofed for protection from the elements. This viewing area is open even when the Reception Hide is closed.
Getting around outside
Fen Trail
The Fen Trail consists mainly of earth and grass paths, are mostly flat, but uneven and bumpy. The riverbank path and Lackford Run are particularly prone to flooding in winter months, which produces deep mud in places, so be sure to ask for the latest trail conditions at Reception Hide. The Lackford Run path is on low lying peat, so remains soft year round. At the end of the Fen Trail there is a railway crossing at Tinker’s Lane, if you are likely to be slow at crossing the line, the phones can be used to contact the signal operator before crossing to ensure there are no trains coming. At the Tinkers Lane crossing, there is currently a gravel slope up to a style or a 12 foot metal gate which allows you to cross the two active railway lines, with another style or 12 foot metal gate on the other side of the track.
Designated Walking Trail
Woodland Trail
The woodland trail has three main surface types; 170m of compacted earth, 710m compacted sand, 815m of compacted granite, 620m grassy riverbank path. There can sometimes be areas of loose material on the Sandy Wall path, depending on current conditions.
Designated Walking Trail
Meadow Trail
The Meadow Trail is a temporary trail (open May to September) over wet grassland, which has water not far under the peat surface, it can be muddy, particularly at the start of the season. The trail has temporary closures due to cattle grazing, ask in Reception for current closures and path conditions.
Reception Hide (outside viewing area)
Fen Hide
Fen Hide
Fen Hide
Tower Hide
Picnic Area
Reception Picnic area
There are two hexagonal picnic benches by Reception Hide which have a space for wheelchair access. Also, 1 rectangular picnic table. There are a further 3 rectangular picnic tables along the first 120m of the wooded area beyond reception hide.
Bird feeding station
The bird feeders can be viewed from the trail between the entrance gate and Reception Hide