Minsmere RSPB Reserve.

Location: TM472672 - From the A12 at Yoxford follow the brown RSPB signs.

Facilities: Car Park (4 allocated spaces + orange/blue badge holders may park outside the visitor centre), Disabled Toilets (one in centre + in toilet block), Accessible Visitor Centre with Café/Tearoom. 4 (out of 8) accessible hides, which can have cars parked nearby, by arrangement. Wheelchairs/powered vehicles: one electrically powered wheelchair and one Remploy wheelchair are available for free loan; contact the visitor centre for availability.

Opening Hours & Admission: Reserve open 9am to 9pm (or dusk if earlier). Visitor centre open 9 am to 5 pm February to October (until 4pm rest of the year). Please note: The reserve and visitor centre are closed on Tuesdays. Charge for non-RSPB members: Adult - £5, child £1.50, concessions £3, family ticket £10.

Contact: RSPB Minsmere Nature Reserve, Westleton, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 3BY Tel: 01728 648281 - email: minsmere@rspb.org.uk

Description: One of the RSPB's premier reserves, a fantastic place to visit at any time of the year, but a "must go" place during May, (on an 6 hour visit I've clocked 80 + species). This reserve has many faults and I believe that its popularity and large numbers of visitors may impede improvements for disabled and abled visitors alike. I will keep visiting this reserve because the birds are fantastic, but Minsmere has the potential for big improvements in accessibility.

Visitor Centre: The Visitor Centre is accessible, but it can get a bit clogged with goods and people. The light levels can also be a bit low. The door to the café is quite heavy & there is very little room inside for wheelchairs, but the food is bril! In good weather there is plenty of space to eat outside, but there are no wheelchair adapted picnic tables.

Trails: There are two, 3.2 km (2 mile) nature trails that remain dry underfoot for most of the year (Trail 2 may become a bit muddy). My initial comment is that this is a very big reserve, a factor to bear in mind when considering a visit. Most of the hides are uncomfortable for non-wheelchair users as they are narrow and some people may have difficulty climbing over the seats. The reserve and the hides suffer from overcrowding, particularly in May and also at weekends. The paths are generally wide, but there are not many benches, particularly on Trail 1. It may well be, that disabled birders might prefer to try other nearby sites, such as Dunwich Heath. It would also be interesting to hear from anyone who has any experience in trying to get his or her car nearer the hides as mentioned in the RSPB literature.

All distances, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Visitor Centre.

Trail 1: The loop going from the Visitor Centre via the North Marsh, the shore & the Scrape, is not fully accessible (the section from along the coastline has a surface with long stretches of sand). Wheelchair users will have to divide the trail into two sections: Route a, from the Visitor Centre to Centre Hide through the North Marsh (where the path narrows but the marsh can be viewed before this). Upon reaching the rise for access to the beach area, turn back and make your way to the Visitor Centre. Route b, from the Visitor Centre to West Hide (460m), which has a difficult door but two adapted places. Further on is South Hide (860m) which has two adapted places. Beyond that is the Sluice where some of the dune habitat may be viewed. On the return path to the Visitor Centre you can link with Trail 2. The East Hide, which is arguably the best for views over the scrape, is inaccessible to wheelchairs (1.1km).

Trail 2: This leads you through a wooded area, onto more open land (breeding Woodlark) to the Island Mere Hide, (1.5 km). There are 8 benches along the route, but this hide is very narrow and only gives restricted views for wheelchair users (Go in May or June and you will see Marsh Harrier, Bittern and Bearded Tits). The return to the Visitor Centre is via a loop on the road. There is a disabled parking bay nearer the Island Mere Hide (450m from bay).

Please contact the Warden if you want to get your car nearer to any of the other hides.

Nearby: The National Trust Dunwich Heath, which has a car park viewing point and some accessible footpaths. There is an observation room in the converted Coastguard Cottages with a stair lift to the viewing room. They also have chauffeur-driven/self-drive single and double vehicles (booking essential) and a Braille guide to the reserve. Further information from the Warden: 01728 648505/648501

As yet, I have not visited Dunwich Heath, so would welcome any comments from those who have. If you want to make further comments or need any other information, please contact us by email: dba.access@virgin.net