Discover nature reserves

Norwich is home to nine beautiful local nature reserves, each offering a unique slice of the natural world right on your doorstep. Managed by the City Council’s green spaces team, these reserves are open to everyone and provide peaceful places to walk, explore, and enjoy wildlife.

What you’ll find

These reserves include woodlands, marshes, and lowland heath, supporting a rich mix of plants and animals. You might spot:

• orchids, water voles, and wetland birds like snipe and lapwing in the marshes.
• woodpeckers, jays, and bluebells in the woodlands.
• Lizards, frogs, and dragonflies in heathland and ponds.

Some areas may be harder to access during wet weather, but most have paths and bridges to help you explore safely.

The nine nature reserves

• Bowthorpe Marsh – a marshy area with grazing land and drainage ditches, great for spotting wetland plants and birds.
• Danby Wood – a small woodland with chalky hills and spring flowers like snowdrops and bluebells.
• Eaton Common – grassland and woodland next to the River Yare, often grazed by cattle.
• Earlham Park Woods – also known as Violet Grove and The Heronry, this site has marshes, grassland, and regenerating woodland.
• Lion Wood – a mature woodland with ancient trees and a peaceful atmosphere, especially lovely in spring.
• Marston Marsh – a large floodplain with ponds, dykes, and grazing areas, home to water voles and orchids.
• Wensum Local Nature Reserve – includes Mile Cross Marsh and Sycamore Crescent Wood, with fenland, damp grassland, and mature trees.
• Mousehold Heath – the largest reserve, with woodland and remaining heathland, popular for walks and wildlife spotting.
• West Earlham Woods – the newest reserve, made up of Twenty Acre Wood and Bunkers Hill Wood, used for community and educational activities