Coming soon

Regular visitors to the reserve cannot fail to have noticed that the Visitor Centre has been closed for some time now, and you may be starting to wonder when it will be opening again. Just to give you some background, the RSPB decided sometime ago that the centre needed a refurbishment, to make the building more welcoming and user friendly. So it is reverting back to what it always used to be, namely an information centre for visitors to the Weymouth Wetlands, but there’s more. It will also have a small coffee shop serving locally sourced refreshments, and there will be an exciting new addition to the reserve along the Buddleia Loop.

The centre closed in mid January with the builders, Webb and Ford, moving in about a month later. Incidentally they are the same local company that originally built the centre all those years ago. There have unfortunately been a few hold ups along the way, which whilst frustrating have been unavoidable. The old electrical wiring in the building was shocking, no pun intended, and this had to be sorted out first. As already mentioned the centre will house a coffee shop with an array of touch screens showing video and live footage of the reserves wildlife, as well as brand new information boards, full size reserve maps and customer toilets with baby changing facilities. Free Wi-Fi access will also be available so you can surf the web whilst enjoying a cake! Why not spread the world that it will be a great place to come for a “working lunch” with a far better view than Starbucks. There will be new seating both inside and out. The patio is being fenced off to make it more comfortable, as well as cutting out the view of the car-park. It will also make the pond dipping area a bit safer. Other new features will include full length blackboards detailing up-coming events as well as reserve sightings and impromptu art work.

But what about the shop I hear some of you ask. Well customers will now be able to order all of the goods in the RSPB catalogue directly through us, either by phone or at the centre, with collection from the centre the following week. This will save you the P&P charge and also enable more funds to be used directly at Radipole. We will be holding regular optics weekends as we have done in the past, where you can try out RSPB and Viking binoculars without obligation. The dates of these events are in the “Whats On” page on our website, and in the events leaflet available from the Visitor Centre, Tourist Information etc. 

Finally out on the reserve the new Family Trail is another exciting addition to the reserve, and complements the duck-feeding and pond dipping platforms which are already in place. It is being put in place along the Buddleia Loop right NOW, and will include new boardwalk trails, and raised viewing platforms to give a birds eye view of otherwise hidden areas of the reedbed. There will also be a new storytelling/picnic area with wildlife themed wooden seating. I have included some photos of these benches under construction just to whet your appetites for what is to come.

All in all its an ambitious project, but we are close to completion and we will soon be opening the centre and trail to the public. Bear with us folks, it won’t be long now.