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Winnall Moors

It is easy to forget in this tranquil spot that the bustling city centre is a short walk away. Winnall Moors has the renowned and beautiful River Itchen flowing throughout its length, providing much needed water for the wet grasslands, reedbeds, wet woodlands and ponds.

Click here for more on wildlife and landscape features.  

Latest News

Discover a wetland without your wellies by following:  

  • Surfaced pathways
  • A boardwalk trail, new pond dipping and stream platforms
  • Access for all visitors, including those using wheelchairs and pushchairs

Volunteers have been busy over the winter removing invasive trees & scrub, which has helped to open up the views across the reedbed  and streams. We also hope that you will enjoy The ‘Durngate Archway’ – a sculpted oak entrance celebrating Winnall’s Medieval past & the wildlife that may be found there. It was made by local artist Richard Farrington from a windblown oaktree at Blashford Lakes. 

If you have enjoyed a visit to Winnall Moors or would like to support the restoration work taking place you can now make a donation to the Wildlife Trust quickly and easily, wherever you are, with our new SMS text donation facility: Just text MOORS to 82540 and you will be donating £1.50 to the conservation of Winnall Moors. Your support is much appreciated.

To reduce disturbance to sensitive wildlife please remember no dogs or cycles are permitted.  

Winnall Moors entrance archwayThis winter enjoy:

  • Hoar frost on a cold morning
  • Red kites soaring above the reserve
  • Flocks of chaffinches feeding on the alder tree seeds
  • Groups of long tailed tits flitting through the trees
  • Winter tree colours: take a closer look , like rich aubergine tan on alder twigs

How to get there

The reserve is at OS grid reference SU 486 297. Click for a map.  

  • The reserve is ½ mile from Winchester city centre and ¾ mile from Winchester station 
  • There are regular trains to Winchester from Southampton, Portsmouth and Basingstoke. From the station and St. Catherine's Park and Ride, there are regular buses down North Walls to Durngate
  • The nearest bike stands are at the junction of Durngate Terrace and Eastgate Street or at Riverpark Leisure Centre 
  • The nearest car parks are Durngate, 50m from the southern entrance and Riverside Leisure Centre, 300m from the North Walls recreation ground entrance.

Getting around 

Winnall Moors by Steve PageIn the southern end of the reserve there is a circular path,suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs, which leads you along the riverbank and along a new boardwalk through the reedbed. This gives great views of the bird and plant life that abounds here. Children will love playing pooh sticks on the bridges and spotting fish, as well as wildfowl on the river. The wet grasslands in the north of the reserve are important for their wetland plants and breeding bird interest. The fields are managed by a combination of hay cutting and grazing by cattle and sheep.  

  • There is a bridge with 5 steps at the entrance off the recreation ground. A surfaced circular path, 1 mile long, takes you around the tall fen in the southern part of the reserve with a raised boardwalk through the fen.
  • There are benches at the Durngate entrance, the ministream and just north of the North Walls bridge entrance overlooking the reedbed at the top of the long boardwalk. These have been installed to provide resting places for those with limited mobility.
  • Access to other parts of the reserve in supervised groups only.

STOP PRESS information boards and trail signs coming soon! Download the new reserve leaflet. 

Contact Information 

For further details of conditions on site contact the Reserves Officer, Rachel Remnant on 07786 777498

You can get involved at the reserve by volunteering as a warden, joining the Winchester Reserves Team or leading walks for visitors. We would love to hear from you.

SMS Text donation - how it works

Donations by SMS are subject to standard network charges applied to your original text messages. These vary from network to network. When you send the donation text message, MOORS to 82540, we will reply with a reverse-billed confirmation, charged to your mobile phone bill or pre-paid account with £1.50. A fraction of this is deducted by the mobile networks as a service charge. On average £0.99 will go to the Wildlife Trust. 

If you own a pay-as-you-go phone then the £1.50 donation will be deducted immediately or, in the case of contract phones, £1.50 will be added to your next bill. You can donate by text message as many times as you like by simply texting in again. If you need to know more about this, please contact us on 01489 - 774400 or email feedback@hwt.org.uk.