Brading Marshes Trail Guide

Home , Bembridge, Brading, Culver Down, Ryde, Sandown, Yarbridge

Dogs on leads are welcome on site. on welcome are leads on Dogs

muddy. get can paths as suitable is footwear

and up to Bembridge Windmill. Ensure your your Ensure Windmill. Bembridge to up and

the top of the steep paths around Gander Down Down Gander around paths steep the of top the

Enjoy the impressive views over the reserve from from reserve the over views impressive the Enjoy

to visit this wonderful reserve again and again. and again reserve wonderful this visit to

and increasing numbers of red squirrels. You’ll want want You’ll squirrels. red of numbers increasing and

woods with spectacular shows of springtime flowers flowers springtime of shows spectacular with woods

RSPB Medmerry nature reserve. nature Medmerry RSPB

marshes and pools, across downland and through through and downland across pools, and marshes

and Bay Bracklesham lies right Further

Wander along miles of peaceful paths beside beside paths peaceful of miles along Wander

Harbour lies just to the right by Hayling Island. Island. Hayling by right the to just lies Harbour

Look north towards Portsmouth. RSPB Langstone Langstone RSPB Portsmouth. towards north Look Brading Marshes is a really special place for wildlife. wildlife. for place special really a is Marshes Brading

Mainland Mainland with red squirrels and birds of prey all year round, round, year all prey of birds and squirrels red with

summer butterflies to rafts of ducks in winter, and and winter, in ducks of rafts to butterflies summer

Open spring, summer and autumn. Refreshments. autumn. and summer spring, Open there is always something new to discover. From From discover. to new something always is there

Tel: 01983 873945 01983 Tel: a great place to see wildlife; as the seasons change, change, seasons the as wildlife; see to place great a

Isle Of Wight PO35 5SQ PO35 Wight Of Isle most important wetlands in southern England. It is is It England. southern in wetlands important most

Bembridge, Road, Street/Mill High Bembridge Harbour, Brading Marshes is one of the the of one is Marshes Brading Harbour, Bembridge

Bembridge Windmill NT Windmill Bembridge Running from the village of Brading to the sea at at sea the to Brading of village the from Running

Open spring, summer and into the autumn. the into and summer spring, Open and enjoy the countryside. the enjoy and

Information, refreshments and toilet. toilet. and refreshments Information,

unwind to place perfect a is Yar,

Tel: 01983 401222 401222 01983 Tel:

beautiful valley of the lower River River lower the of valley beautiful Station Road, Brading, Isle of Wight PO36 0DY PO36 Wight of Isle Brading, Road, Station

Brading Station Heritage and Visitor Centre Visitor and Heritage Station Brading

Brading Marshes, nestled in the the in nestled Marshes, Brading

attractions: local Other Welcome Welcome

In this area… this In

01273 775333 01273

Portsmouth Janet, or call the RSPB’s South East Regional Office Office Regional East South RSPB’s the call or

rspb.org.uk/bradingmarshes

Brading’s awesome! awesome! Brading’s

and carrying out surveys. out carrying and birds all in one location. location. one in all birds

signs installing fencing, coppicing, including

tree-nesting, fish-eating fish-eating tree-nesting,

Our volunteers undertake a variety of tasks, tasks, of variety a undertake volunteers Our

Get Involved Get and cormorant; three three cormorant; and

Little egret, grey heron heron grey egret, Little Take part with us with part Take Little egret by Paul Sawyer (rspb-images.com)

Top things to do How to get here Spring/summer Nearest towns: Brading, Sandown A busy time for nature and a By train: A combined National Rail and ferry ticket great time for you to explore. (Portsmouth to Ryde) is available. Board the ferry from the mainland station and then transfer to 1 Listen to the explosive song of the an island train direct to Brading station. Cetti’s warbler near water. By bus: Brading (Bull Ring), Southern Vectis bus 2 Watch courting lapwing over the marsh, every 30 minutes Monday to Sunday from Ryde Brading swooping and calling ‘peewit’. or Newport. 3 Scan the skies for buzzards soaring on By bike: Sustrans cycle route 67. Marshes broad wings or a low-flying marsh harrier over the reedbeds. By car: From A3055, head to Brading station car park PO36 0DY. Alternatively use National Trust car nature reserve 4 Look out for dragonflies patrolling the parks at Bembridge Windmill or Culver Down. marshes or the glimpse of a dashing hobby falcon. Opening times The reserve is open at all times, but the station Discover some of the history of the 5 visitor centre has limited opening times. reserve by following the old sea wall to Centurion’s Copse. Admission charges Access is free (but donations are appreciated). Autumn/winter Warden’s office Five things not to miss The Barn, Carpenters Farm, Carpenters Road, during the chillier months. St Helens, Ryde, Isle of Wight PO33 1YL Tel: 01983 873681 1 In autumn, see swallows and house martins furiously feeding to fuel their migration to rspb.org.uk/bradingmarshes warmer climes. @RSPB_SouthEast Enjoy the sight of swirling flocks of lapwing 2 @RSPBSoutheast and listen to Brent geese ‘yapping’ against the downs. Find peace in 3 Marvel at colourful flocks of wigeon. this rural retreat 4 Listen for flocks of wintering thrushes Unwind Explore a Look out chattering in the hedgerows. in this range of for red The RSPB is a registered charity in England & Wales 207076, beautiful wildlife squirrels in 5 Search for the carpets of late winter flowering in Scotland SC037654. Images: front cover by Andy Hay river valley. habitats. the woods. wild daffodils in Centurion’s Copse. (rspb-images.com); red squirrel by Eric Isselee (shutterstock.com) BDM-1139-17-18 RSPB Brading Marshes Finding your way around

The best way to discover the reserve is to follow one of the waymarked routes from either Brading Northern marsh trail Old sea wall trail station or Bembridge Windmill. Follow the red route along this three mile trail This blue marked trail from Brading Station or Mill Take the footpath up the road from the station. Follow from Brading station taking in marshes and mead car parks to Bembridge Windmill is about the green signs through the housing estate. Carefully hedgerows. Allow two hours there and back. 4.5 miles there and back. You can either start from cross the railway tracks, then follow the path to North Brading station or from Bembridge Windmill car Marsh along Laundry Lane (the old railway line) or In spring look out for displaying lapwing over the park. Allow three hours. take the path diagonally across the marshes to the marshes and enjoy wandering along hedgerows old sea wall. and banks, rich with birdsong. Look out for the fleeting flash of a kingfisher as you In summer listen to the buzz of insects and admire the cross the old sluice. In winter watch coot and wigeon Brading Marshes is crossed by a network of public feeding along the banks of the river. and permissive paths. These take you through a varied dragonflies hunting along hedgerows and over pools. landscape, rich in important habitats and wildlife. From Laundry Lane, scan the marshes for hunting In spring take time to enjoy the stunning carpet of Explore reedbeds, marshes and ancient woodlands. birds of prey such as a low-flying marsh harrier, woodland flowers in Centurion’s Copse. Look out for Marvel at the exotic-sounding wildlife lurking in the a dashing peregrine or a barn owl. red squirrels foraging in the branches and listen for salty lagoons, like the starlet sea anemone. ‘drumming’ woodpeckers. Catch your breath from the ascent to Bembridge Windmill while admiring the view across the marshes.

ad Ro N en Gre er pp U St Helens, W E Duver

To Ryde S B3395 ST HELENS

B3330 Carpenters Road Bembridge Emb ankm Harbour ent Ro ad

The Haven Bembridge Lagoons

A3055 Great marsh

North r marsh Ya n BEMBRIDGE e L River ag Vicar Laundry Lane

BRADING Bembridge Windmill Old sea wall & middle sluice Old sea wall Quay Lane

Old sea wall ad Ro n w Station Rd o d n Fatting Great sluice a marsh Centurion’s S Copse Centurion’s Lane Brading Station oad ay R illw H

New Road YARBRIDGE Mill mead B3395

To Sandown

Ox mead Key

Water Bird seed crop Permissive path

Saline pools Reed and rush swamp Northern marsh trail

YAVERLAND Woodlands Parking Old sea wall trail Grassland Railway Viewpoint

Scrub Public footpath Bembridge Fort Trig Point (104 metres above sea-level)