Short birdwatching visit · Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust
Coombe Hill Canal and Meadows
- Tier
- Good stop nearby
- Best season
- Year-round interest, with flood-dependent access
- Headline birds
- Curlew · Lapwing · Snipe
- Parking
- The Wharf has a small car park; keep field gates clear.
- Hides
- The Wigeon/Grundon hide is currently closed after boardwalk flood damage; follow current signs for other watching places.
- Step-free
- Wet paths may be unsuitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs; flooding can prevent access altogether.
The Wharf, Coombe Hill, Severn Vale
Coombe Hill Canal and Meadows offers birdwatching along a disused canal and across the Severn Vale’s wet grassland. The Trust lists Snipe, Lapwing and Curlew among the reserve’s birds, with winter flooding shaping both the habitat and access. The Wigeon hide, formerly called Grundon, is currently closed because its boardwalk was damaged by floods; do not plan a visit around entering it. Start at The Wharf and use only the paths and watching places that are open. The site can become inaccessible during flooding, so the canal walk depends on conditions.
Birds and seasons
- Curlew · Headline bird — Season not stated Source for Curlew
- Lapwing · Headline bird — Season not stated Source for Lapwing
- Snipe · Headline bird — Season not stated Source for Snipe
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- The Wigeon/Grundon hide is currently closed after boardwalk flood damage; follow current signs for other watching places.
- Paths
- Waymarked walks and bridleways follow the canal and meadows; the towpath can become rutted and muddy.
- Toilets
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Parking
- The Wharf has a small car park; keep field gates clear.
- Dogs
- Keep dogs on leads during the March–September bird-breeding period and follow wildlife signs.
- Access notes
- Wet paths may be unsuitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs; flooding can prevent access altogether.
- Step-free access
- Wet paths may be unsuitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs; flooding can prevent access altogether.
Getting there: The operator directs road arrivals from the A38 to The Wharf, with the car park at the end of the single-lane track. The map pin is the Trust’s visitor-location point. Check the current flood and boardwalk notice before committing to the route.
Sources
Social preview: original typographic artwork by Does Your Duck Quack.
Nearby special trips
- Highnam Woods · 8.4 straight-line miles
- Peterstone Wentlooge Marshes · 48.2 straight-line miles
- Snelsmore Common Country Park · 50.0 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: WWT Slimbridge, 17.4 miles away in a straight line.
- Crickley Hill · 7.3 miles in a straight line
- Highnam Woods · 8.4 miles in a straight line
- Tiddesley Wood – the Harry Green Reserve · 12.1 miles in a straight line