Rainham Access and Covid19 - answering your questions

You may have seen my last post (you can see it here). We have made the difficult decision to close our Rainham Marshes visitor centre, café, shop, and hides to visitors. We want help you enjoy nature at this time, which is why we are keeping our trails and car park open at no charge.

Please read this whole post for full details of everything you need to know!

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Where can I walk?

You can explore the main trails of the reserve and the River Wall part of the reserve.

Please note: we have split the reserve into two to make it good for everyone - we allow dogs, bicycles, scooters and footballs along the River Wall but not on the main section of the reserve. 

Please remain at least 2m from other people and follow government guidance on personal hygiene.

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How do I access the main trails?

To get onto the main trails you access by a gate near the shop - next to the exit only turnstile that brings you out into the car park.

If you are in the car park looking at the shop, it will be round to the right.

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Rainham Opening Times: 

9.30 am-5 pm (the car park and gates will lock after this time)

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Toilets:

The toilets at the visitor centre will be open every day during opening times. 

The toilets on the reserve (half way round near the Shooting Butts Hide) will remain closed. 

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What is closed?

The visitor centre (including bicycle hire), cafe, shop, and hides will remain closed. Events have been postponed for the time being. 

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What footwear do I need?

If you would like to walk the whole loop of the reserve walking boots are recommended. It's pretty muddy in places!

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Can I have a map?

You can download a map from our website (rspb.org.uk/rainham and in 'plan your visit' there is a download section).

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Is there a charge?

We want to do everything we can to help people and our local community safely experience nature at this time, which is why we are keeping our reserve trails and car park open. Therefore, we are also waiving our entrance fee so people can enjoy our site at no cost.

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What might I see?

Recently we have seen common scoter on the river, avocet, lapwing, redshank, black-tailed godwit, ruff, snipe, water rail, oystercatcher, curlew, wheatear, water pipit, rock pipit, blackcap, stonechat, chiffchaff, bearded tit, shelduck, pintail, pochard, gadwall, tufted duck, raven, jackdaw, rook, marsh harrier, peregrine, buzzard, red kite, and short-eared owl.

Common scoter and a gadwall on Thursday - Niall Keogh

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How do I keep up to date with the reserve?

If you are unable to get out into nature physically, then we will be here providing updates, news, photos, blogs and more, to help you keep connected with nature over the coming weeks. You can follow us on @RSPBRainham on Twitter and Facebook and here on the blog.

We are thinking of doing little video blogs, or perhaps some live videos so you can chat to us too - would that be of interest? 

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Are bicycles/ scooters/ dogs/ ball games allowed?

The River Wall section of the reserve is good for dogs, bicycles (for more details about the cycles routes have a look here).

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Are the other Essex reserves open?

Yes - RSPB Wallasea, Old Hall and the South Essex reserves are open as usual (please check their opening times). 

• RSPB Wallasea Island is a magical landscape of marshland, lagoons, ditches and sea. Walk along the seawalls to see the saltmarsh, mudflats and lagoons, where terns dive into the water in summer and huge flocks of waders and wildfowl arrive in winter.
  Open every day 8am – dusk. For full details about the reserve go to the website. 
  
  
• RSPB Old Hall Marshes comprises extensive grazing marshes with brackish water fleets, reedbeds, saltmarsh and two off-shore islands. Breeding species here include avocet, lapwing, redshank, pochard, shoveler and bearded tit. During migration, marsh harriers, wheatears, whinchats and waders can also be seen, making this the perfect spot for avid birdwatchers.
  Opening times 9am to 5pm weekdays or dusk if sooner. Car park is closed at weekends. For more details go here. 
  
  
• RSPB Bowers Marsh is made up of grassland, marshland, lagoons, and wetland and it's a beautiful reserve for walks through these different habitats. Follow one of the trails and you are likely to see or hear something of interest, from ducks in the winter to a lucky glance of a kingfisher.
  Open at all times. Please check the website for more details. 
  
  
• RSPB Vange Marsh is a glorious mosaic of wetland habitats that attract many species of birds throughout the year. The fresh and saltwater lagoons here host breeding avocets, little ringed plovers, lapwings and reed buntings. While wigeons, teals and shovelers are regular visitors in the winter.
  Open at all times. Go to the website for full details.
  
  
• RSPB West Canvey Marshes is part of the RSPB South Essex reserves, a network of wet and dry grassland, reed beds, lagoons, saltmarsh and scrub giving people a chance to see a whole host of wildlife. Come in summer, when there are singing skylarks, or in winter for the chance to see a short-eared owl.
  Open daily except Christmas day, Boxing day and New Years day. Full details can be found here.