Steart Marshes
Welcome to Steart Marshes
A wild wetland landscape for the future that helps people and wildlife adapt to climate change.
Rising sea levels are putting the squeeze on our coast, so WWT and the Environment Agency have created Steart Marshes – one of the UK’s largest new wetland reserves. Hundreds of hectares of saltmarsh and freshwater wetlands buffer homes and businesses from rising sea levels, and provide habitat for a rich mix of wetland wildlife including otters, egrets, owls waders and wildfowl.
Steart Marshes is the first of WWT’s Working Wetlands – places that demonstrate how wetlands are productive and useful. As well as being a natural buffer against flooding, it is farmed for specialist saltmarsh lamb and beef, its creeks are a nursery for the fry of important fish stocks, and it is absorbing tonnes of climate-polluting carbon as it matures.
Admission is FREE
Open all year round: car parks and paths for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, subject to a few local restrictions
Parking: The main car park is fully open every day 9am – 4.30m. At all other times (including bank holidays) a 2.1m height barrier will be in place. Steart Gate car park has a 2.1m height restriction at all times.
Hides and toilets: Open 9am – 4.30pm, with a few seasonal extensions to these times. The screened viewing points are open all year round
Dogs are welcome on most paths but must be kept under close control. Make sure you clean up any poo and please take it away with you!
Paths: It takes about an hour to walk from the main car park to the breach point. Follow way-marking to new fine-surfaced paths allowing access on foot, some by wheelchair and most by bike. There is also a new circular bridleway
Tide times: The rising tide along the Severn Estuary rapidly covers great distances. Watch this amazing natural process from safe vantage points across the site. Click here to look up local tide times to help plan your visit. A tide level of over 10.55m (measured in metres above chart datum) will enter the main lagoon, and tides over 11.60m will spread out of the creek and over the developing saltmarsh. At WWT Steart Marshes the relative difference between Chart Datum (CD) and Ordnance Datum (OD) (ie the land height figures shown on OS maps) is 5.90m (eg 11.60m CD – 5.90m = 5.70m OD). For more information click here.
Fancy a cuppa? There is no cafe on site, but it’s an ideal picnic spot so feel free to bring your own refreshments. To purchase provisions nearby, there are shops in the larger local villages and towns. There are no litter bins on site so please take your rubbish home.
Please try not to disturb the wildlife or other visitors.
Address: WWT Steart Marshes, Stert Drove, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA5 2PU
Distance: 22 Miles
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