Short birdwatching visit · Cumbria Wildlife Trust
Meathop Moss
- Tier
- Good stop nearby
- Best season
- April–August; winter Snipe and Teal
- Headline birds
- Teal · Snipe · Tree Pipit
- Parking
- Layby parking is described just before High Stock Bridge.
- Hides
- Not stated by the operator
- Step-free
- Not stated by the operator
Near Witherslack
Meathop Moss is a raised-bog reserve near Witherslack with a short public route out towards the open moss. Cumbria Wildlife Trust names Snipe, Stonechat and Tree Pipit here, with winter Teal calling from the pools. Its mosses, cotton-grass and insect life make the habitat itself part of the visit. Restoration has raised water levels and made the normal access route unusable; the Trust explicitly describes temporary safe access onto the reserve. Follow that current arrangement rather than assuming the older boardwalk route remains continuous, and keep off the soft bog beyond the path.
Birds and seasons
- Teal · Headline bird — Winter Source for Teal
- Snipe · Headline bird — Winter Source for Snipe
- Tree Pipit · Headline bird — Season not stated Source for Tree Pipit
- Stonechat — Season not stated Source for Stonechat
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Paths
- The published route is about one kilometre return, using boardwalk, wood-chip and unsurfaced sections; follow temporary safe access.
- Toilets
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Parking
- Layby parking is described just before High Stock Bridge.
- Dogs
- Dogs must be on a lead; cattle sometimes graze.
- Access notes
- The operator describes the path as fairly level, but current temporary access needs care.
- Step-free access
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
Getting there: From the A590 at Witherslack take the minor road signed Ulpha. After about 900 metres use the right-hand layby before High Stock Bridge without blocking gates or the track. Follow the operator temporary-access instructions onto the moss.
Sources
Social preview: original typographic artwork by Does Your Duck Quack.
Nearby special trips
- Foulshaw Moss · 1.3 straight-line miles
- Hesketh Out Marsh · 35.4 straight-line miles
- St Bees Head · 35.4 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: RSPB Leighton Moss, 5.1 miles away in a straight line.
- Foulshaw Moss · 1.3 miles in a straight line
- Aughton Woods · 11.4 miles in a straight line
- Heysham Nature Reserve · 13.8 miles in a straight line