1. Home
  2. Our Reserves
  3. Winnall Moors

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.  

Winnall Moors entrance archway

Summer sights

With surfaced paths, boardwalks and bridges, you can enjoy the wetland without your wellies! Look out for golden ringed dragonflies on the wing and tiny toads hopping across the paths. The kingfishers and water voles are frequently seen on the waterways. Hemp agrimony, yellow loosestrife and meadow sweet are in full bloom providing plenty of colour and scent. Join in our Meadow Magic event 10am -1pm on Monday 23rd August to make smelly potions and hunt for minibeasts.  If you're looking for something to entertain the kids this holiday check out Winchester's Freefall Festival. Winnall Moors features on Friday 20th August with a day of Wild Weaving for 4-7yr olds plus a parent. To book a place call 01962 840440.


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.  

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 regularbuses 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 

In 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 regular intervals. 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. 
 

 

Winnall Moors by Steve Page