FAQs

In 2024 we are open on Sundays 10am-5pm from 7 April – 25 August. We are also open during this time for exclusive bookable visits on Fridays. Cream Teas are served 2-5pm on the last Sundays of the month in April, May, June, July and August.

In the winter we close for maintenance.

Want to visit at another time? Why not consider becoming a Friend of Withymead which means you benefit from priority booking to visit the reserve at any time, by arrangement with the wardens. Other visits can be arranged, subject to warden availability get in touch.

We are located on the Bridle Way between Goring-on-Thames to our south and South Stoke to our north, in south Oxfordshire, about 1.5 miles (2.4km) from Goring and Streatley train station. With careful parking, our small car park can hold up to 18 cars. The reserve entrance is opposite. Plan your visit.

Entrance to Withymead is free. However, please consider making a small donation to support our conservation work. If you’d like to hire it commercially, or for a specific occasion, please see our hire us page.

Yes, we have a small car park that can accommodate up to 18 carefully parked vehicles. See find us for more information on how to get here.

Registered assistance dogs are welcome. To protect the wildlife and ecology on the reserve itself, we ask that all other well-behaved dogs stay on the Study Centre side only, and on a lead.

We are very aware that a reed fen and wetland nature reserve can present some difficulties for wheelchair users and pushchairs, and we have endeavoured to make parts of the site more accessible to people with limited mobility. We are pleased to say that from Spring 2025, half of our boardwalk which runs through the middle of the reed fen is now accessible, with a large viewing area next to the kingfisher hide. There is also a short stretch of gravel path which is wheelchair accessible, and which allows visitors to reach an area of the reserve known as Sunken Mead. All our other paths are a mix of woodchip, gravel and grass. We also have a lightweight all-terrain wheelchair, which means visitors can access more of the site. As of Summer 2025, we are now fundraising to complete the entire boardwalk and bridge. Get in touch to find out more.

Our accessible toilet is located next to the Study Centre, near the car park, across the bridle way from the reserve. See our map for its exact location. At the moment, unfortunately, we do not have baby changing facilities.

The Kingfisher Hide and Boathouse Hide are wonderful places from which to watch and observe the wildlife on the reserve. This means they are often popular on our Sunday Open Days, particularly the Kingfisher Hide. So that as many visitors can enjoy and share the delight of these spaces, please give up your place to others if you have been in the hide for more than 20-30 minutes. For some visitors it might be their first time in a hide so always offer a warm welcome too.

If you would like to spend more time in either hide, remember that you can ask the Warden about exclusive use for longer observation and photography. There are two ways you can book a private visit outside of our summer Sunday open days:

• You can hire the hide for £15 per hour subject to availability
• During our summer open season (Easter – end August) you can book a private 2-hour slot on Fridays

Yes, we have several perfect spots you can sit and enjoy a picnic, such as the deck by the waterfront, old tree trunks and benches dotted about, or at the lookout across South Stoke marsh. Visitors can also use the shady Oak Grove, next to the Study Centre. All we ask is that you do not feed the wildlife and to remember to take your rubbish home.

We recommend sturdy and comfortable footwear as paths are a mix of woodchip, gravel and grass, and the bridle way which intersects the reserve from the car park, study centre and toilet can be muddy in wet weather.

Little Meadow a floodplain wildflower meadow and area of coppiced woodland that lies south of Goring, next to Gatehampton railway bridge. It is on the route of the Thames path national trail on the banks of the Thames. About 2 acres in size, it is managed to protect and enhance the wide variety of native wildflowers. To find it, walk south from Goring along the Thames Path for about 20/30 minutes, and look out for our signs. There are benches at either end for weary legs and to enjoy the views.

Withymead – and Little Meadow too – wouldn’t run or be open without its volunteers and we are very thankful for their support. Our enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers are from all walks of life. Opportunities to get involved include helping with habitat management, welcoming visitors on open days, serving tea and cake from the study centre, repairing and conserving our built heritage, and many other tasks. Their support is invaluable, and we thank them all. Head to our volunteer page to find out more. Unfortunately, we can’t currently accept Duke of Edinburgh Scheme volunteers unless you are aged 18 or over.

Yes! We have welcomed many groups to the reserve, from those with a special interest in nature conservation such as bat, ornithology and moss groups to others such as research organisations, photography clubs, artists, girl guides and the women’s institute. Head to our group visits page for more information. Entry is free, however please also consider donating to the reserve to help us conserve and manage this beautiful place by the Thames.

We have to balance being open for visitors and encouraging the right conditions for flora and fauna to thrive at a nature reserve on a busy stretch of the river Thames. Being entirely volunteer led also means we can only open when we have enough volunteers to do so safely. Remember you can visit by prior arrangement too. Just get in touch via contact us.

Tara’s Piece is a piece of original river terrace on the same stretch of Bridleway as Withymead. The steep drop from the Bridleway is a stark contrast to the gardens either side where the land has been re-profiled. At the bottom of the terrace lie the remnants of a ditch that ran from South Stoke to the Leathern Bottel. The marshy ground at the bottom is carpeted with Loddon Lillies in April and May. Due to its fragile and inaccessible nature, it is not open to the public.

We closely monitor weather forecasts from the UK’s national meteorological service – known as the ‘Met Office’ – every day during our open season. This is because the reserve is heavily wooded, and long periods of dry weather (and wet weather too!) affects our trees. When high winds or strong gusts of wind are forecast, this means we sometimes have to close the reserve in the interests of safety.

We therefore recommend you check our social media pages (facebook, instagram) and this website before you set out, particularly when it is windy.