RSPB Exminster And Powderham Marshes

Just five miles from Exeter city centre, Exminster and Powderham Marshes are great places to see birds all year-round. You can enjoy lovely walks here in this fascinating landscape. The marshes are a vital feeding and resting area for large numbers of birds which come here on their migration and to spend the winter – so watch out for big flocks of geese, ducks and waders. This is also one of the last few places in south-west England where lapwings and redshanks still nest. We keep these two special places just the way the birds like them, by cutting the grass for hay and controlling the water levels. Grazing cattle help keep the grass just the right length. This is a place filled with human history, too. The land was originally part of the estuary until the Exeter Ship Canal was built in the 19th Century, and the remains of the RAF's World War II signal interception base can still be seen today. You can get refreshments at the Swans Nest Inn and the Turf Pub (which is closed for some winter months), where patrons can also use the toilet facilities.