Enjoy your local nature reserve
Withymead is special: an oasis of riverside wildness; a haven for plants and wildlife; a place where Thames-side boat building once thrived. The 13-acre reserve was established by Anne Carpmael, a keen naturalist who lived at Withymead for nearly 60 years. Anne bequeathed the site as a special place for the community, and to inspire an appreciation of nature especially among young people. It opened in 2004.
Discover Withymead
Help conserve our natural heritage
Withymead is a gem. Which we want to share with you.
We have a volunteer team who help with conservation and events, and new volunteers with general or specialist skills are always welcome.
What unites everyone who visits Withymead is their deep and profound connection with this special place by the Thames.
Volunteer with us
We reopen in April 2026
April opening hours
Fridays 10am – 5pm for special request visits
Sundays 10am – 5pm for our spectacular Loddon lilies
Cream teas 2pm – 5pm last Sunday of April
Citizen science 10am – 12noon first Sunday of April
May – August opening hours
Fridays 10am – 5pm
Sundays 10am – 5pm
Cream teas 2pm – 5pm last Sunday of the month
Citizen science 10am – 12noon first Sunday of the month
PLEASE NOTE: As of April 2026, visitors can access a good proportion of the reedbed area, including the route to the kingfisher hide plus its adjacent new viewing outdoor area, with improved access for all, including for visitors who use wheelchairs and buggies. However, we regret that the remaining section of old wooden boardwalk and bridge is temporarily closed for safety reasons. We are actively fundraising to replace these – see our ‘Buy a Board‘ campaign and video.
Entrance to Withymead is free unless it is for commercial hire. Please consider donating to support our conservation work.
In the winter we close for maintenance. However we can offer visits by prior arrangement with our Wardens subject to availability, contact them here.
Find out moreSpotlights and updates
06th March 2026
News update | Transforming Little Meadow
As well as Withymead Nature Reserve, the Anne Carpmael Trust CIO also manages an area of land known as Little Meadow, south of Goring, as you walk along the Thames Path towards Pangbourne. We’re delighted to share that with grant support from Mend the Gap, Little Meadow is embarking on a remarkable transformation, with a project designed to guide the site towards becoming a vibrant tall herb sedge meadow.
This initiative, carefully planned to take place over several years, aims to create a thriving habitat for wildlife while promoting sustainable land management practices.
Read more
30th March 2025
Spotlight | Bring on the Blue Banded Demoiselle
The blue banded demoiselle, or Calopteryx splendens, is a captivating damselfly that graces the banks of slow-flowing streams and rivers across Eurasia. With its striking appearance and fascinating behaviours, this damselfly is one of the first to emerge and can often be seen in April and May.
Read more
05th April 2026
Events | 5 April 10am – 5pm Easter Sunday Bird-Egg Trail
Families are invited to step into spring at Withymead Nature Reserve this Easter Sunday, for a brand new Easter Bird Egg Trail running from 10am to 5pm. The reserve’s volunteers have created a series of numbered “nests” hidden around the site, each one filled with hand turned wooden eggs painted to match a local bird species.
Follow the trail, search for the nests, and use the egg colours and nest clues to work out which bird each nest belongs to. From reedbed specialists like the Sedge Warbler and Water Rail to garden favourites such as the Robin and Blackbird, the trail offers a gentle way to explore the reserve’s habitats and learn about the birds that call Withymead home.
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