Update on Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore facilities

Hello everyone!

Well, it has been a busy time over the past few weeks. The team has been working hard to make the reserves enjoyable and safe places to visit. So here is the update on how things are looking at both Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore. 

Car parks
All the car parks are open, at both sites. 

Reserve Trails
All the trails are now reopened, 24 hours a day. There are new gates in various places at Frampton Marsh. Please close these behind you, as it will keep the new breeding area free from ground-based predators. Please also be considerate of other visitors. If you want to stop to look at something, get off the path so that others can get by whilst maintaining the 2 metres distancing. There are no one-way systems, we have cut the paths to be wide enough for everyone to get by.

Hides
All the hides are now reopened. There are however capacity limits in place, clearly marked on the outside of each hide. We are saying a maximum of 10 adults inside 360 Hide, 8 in East Hide, and 5 in Reedbed hide, or the hide at Freiston Shore. Please be aware of other visitors, and make way for those newly arrived and looking to use the hide. One of the advantages of both Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore is that you can see a lot of wildlife from the paths, without having to be inside the hides. Please note also that we are asking visitors to wear face coverings inside the hides. Hand sanitiser has been provided for your use in each hide.

Toilets
The toilets at Frampton will be open between 10 am and 4 pm daily. There will be two toilets, one of which is accessible. Please check with the staff on duty if the loos are free and, if not, queue in a socially distant fashion outside. To comply with Covid regulations we will have to close the toilets at 12 and 2 pm in order to clean them.Please remain patient during this time, we will get them open again as quickly as we can whilst not skimping on the cleaning.

Refreshments
Subject to staffing, we hope to offer limited takeaway refreshments between 10 am and 4 pm. We can offer Americano coffee (made fresh with our fantastic Love Nature coffee beans) and teas (English breakfast, Earl Grey, peppermint, red berry or decaff). We do have powdered almond milk available for our vegan and lactose-intolerant visitors. A variety of cans or cartons of cold drinks are also available. We also have Pipers crisps and a variety of prepackaged cakes and biscuits. Please make your order with the staff on duty, and pay with a contactless card or device. 
We regret that we are currently unable to offer filled rolls, ice creams, or the more exotic coffees like we usually do.

Track and Trace
We have been asked to take part in the Track and trace scheme at Frampton Marsh. If you come into the area of the reserve where you would have to pay an entry fee, purchase refreshments or use the toilets, please fill in one of the contact slips and post them in the box provided. All data will be securely held in accordance with GDPR.

Entry Fees
The access fee of £1 per car for non-members is in force at Freiston Shore. Please use the ticket machine as you would normally. At Frampton Marsh we have been charging half the usual entry fee. With the reopening of the facilities this will soon go up to 3/4 the usual price, namely £1.50 per adult and 75p per child. Still very good value, I'm sure you will agree. And remember, it all goes towards making the reserve the fantastic place to visit it is. 

So there we are. We are not back to 'normal' just yet, the visitor centre is not yet open for example. But we are making great strides forward in making our visitors' experience of the sites as good as it possibly can be. We look forward to seeing you all in the future!