Visiting Honiton over the summer months? The town is known as the gateway to the west and is a great spot for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in nature. While you’re here, plan a day out exploring Honiton Bottom Nature Reserve – it’s only a mile from the town centre and is perfect for walks, bird spotting and picnicking.
So, want to visit?
Getting there
Honiton Bottom Nature Reserve is only a mile from Honiton town centre, so it’s nice and easy to find. Head to the junction between Honiton Bottom Road and Battishorne Way, there is on road parking opposite the entrance to the reserve. Like most of the sites managed by Wild East Devon, the reserve is open to the public at all times and there are no charges to visit.
Things to do
Bird watching
While you’re at Honiton Bottom you’ll likely spot several small bird varieties, including dippers and kingfishers along the Gissage, which runs along the eastern edge of the reserve. Other birds can also been seen around the grassland and depending on the time of day you visit, you might also be lucky enough to see an owl!
Walking
The reserve is a lovely place to go for a stroll and is dog friendly (make sure to clean up after them and keep them under control – there are wildlife here after all!)
There are a mixture of pathways, including surfaced ones and others that are mown into the meadow, giving you plenty of places to explore. The surfaced paths are suitable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and buggies.
Photography
Honiton Bottom is peaceful and picturesque with some lovely scenery at various points, as well as the chance to spot birds and other wildlife, which makes it a good place to update your Instagram grid or practice shooting with different lenses.
Have a picnic
There are picnic benches at Honiton Bottom, or if you prefer, you can bring a blanket and enjoy a more traditional picnic. Just remember to pick up after yourself and leave the site as you found it!
Join in an activity
Like a lot of the sites managed by Wild East Devon, there are several activities and workshops that take place at Honiton Bottom. Over the next few months, there are a couple of things to add to your diaries, including a chance to search for bugs!
Come along and see what bugs you can find using bug nets or go dipping in the stream and see what you can find! There is no need to prebook, but there is a small charge of £3 a child, visit on 28th August to join in.