Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve
ENTRY
Free
WHERE
Lowestoft
What it’s like
Free wetland trails for spotting dragonflies, lapwings and ducks, with an outdoor play area and café to fall back on.
This is a proper wetland reserve rather than a zoo with fences, so the wildlife comes to you rather than the other way round. The Sprat's Water and Share Marsh trails are the main event, flat and wheelchair-friendly paths that wind through marsh where you might spot lapwing, starling flocks or one of the 28 species of dragonfly the site lists. There's an outdoor play area too, which is handy for breaking up a longer walk if you've got a child who isn't quite ready for a full trail.
Entry is free, which makes it an easy one to add to the diary without weighing up whether it's worth the money. Opening hours run 10am to 4:30pm in summer and 10am to 4pm over winter, and the café does hot drinks and fresh lunches with hot food served until 3pm, so you're not stuck packing a full picnic unless you want to.
Buggies should manage the main trails fine given the wheelchair-friendly surfacing, and there's a mobility scooter hire option too if that's more useful. Parking is on site with allocated disabled bays, and if you fancy the train instead, Oulton Broad South station is about a 20 minute walk away. Dogs aren't allowed everywhere on the reserve.
If it's a birthday you're planning rather than a day trip, they run Wild Birthday Parties with things like den building, minibeast hunting and muddy play, split into a morning or afternoon slot on weekends.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- On-site parking. Disabled/allocated parking available
- Food
- Café with hot drinks, fresh lunches and baked treats
- Wheelchairs
- Sprat's Water and Share Marsh trails are wheelchair-friendly
- Dogs
- Not allowed on some trails or areas
- Getting there by bus or train
- Oulton Broad South railway station, 20 minute walk away
- Parties
- Wild Birthday Parties available with choice of activities including den building, minibeast hunting, scavenger hunts, muddy play
- Hot food stops being served at 3pm, so plan lunch before then
- Mobility scooter hire is available if the trails are too much for a wheelchair
- Oulton Broad South station is a 20 minute walk from the reserve
- Foraging and fishing aren't allowed anywhere on the reserve
Plan your visit
Is it free to get in?
Yes, entry to the reserve is free.
What are the opening hours?
10am to 4:30pm from April to October, and 10am to 4pm from November to March.
Is there anywhere to eat?
There's a café serving hot drinks, fresh lunches and baked treats, with hot food available until 3pm.
Can we take a buggy or wheelchair round?
The Sprat's Water and Share Marsh trails are wheelchair-friendly, and the visitor centre is fully accessible. Mobility scooter hire is available for parts of the site.
Is there parking?
On-site parking including disabled and allocated bays.
Can we bring the dog?
Dogs aren't allowed on some trails or areas, so it's best to check the local information when you arrive.
Do you need to book?
There's no booking link listed for general visits, so you can just turn up during opening hours.
Can we have a birthday party there?
Wild Birthday Parties run on weekends in a 10:30am to 12:30pm or 2pm to 4pm slot, £180 for up to 20 children, with a catering option at £7.50 per child.
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