EN 79 · RSPB reserve guide
RSPB Medmerry
Earnley, England · PO20 7NE
Avocet pools and wide views across a restored coastal wetland.
Decide if the visit fits.
RSPB Medmerry at a glance
Last checked 18 October 2026.
- Best time
- Birdwatching through the seasons
- Opening & entry
- Hours, admission and parking: see Entry below.
- Trails & visit length
- Medmerry's visitor routes follow the new sea-defence landscape around open wetland.
- Accessibility
- The RSPB describes most of the reserve as flat, with compacted-stone bridleways, some mown grass sections and slight gradients reaching the seawall.
- Facilities
- Medmerry has no toilets, café, shop or visitor centre.
- Dogs
- Dogs may accompany visitors on designated public footpaths and bridleways, kept on a lead and under close, effective control.
- Public transport
- Chichester is the railway connection for Medmerry.
Reserve overview
RSPB Medmerry reserve and habitat
Avocet pools and wide views across a restored coastal wetland.
Eight checks for a smoother visit.
Planning your visit to Medmerry
Conditions change: check the operator and transport notices before travelling.
Medmerry best time to visit and seasonal birds
Jan–Feb: typically scan Medmerry's wetland from the raised viewpoints during the morning for Wigeon, Teal and mixed waders. Watch above the flocks for Peregrines and Merlins, both highlighted by the RSPB in winter. A sheltered position and a patient look across several channels are more useful than trying to follow every bird on foot. Mar–Apr: usually concentrate on the Stilt Pools from the public banks in the early part of the day for Avocets and other waders. The RSPB identifies these pools with spring Avocet activity. Watch social behaviour and feeding from the designated route, without approaching birds defending a patch of ground. May–Jun: typically revisit the Stilt Pools in the morning for Avocet family activity, while Linnets and other small birds use the surrounding open landscape. A telescope can bring details of feeding behaviour into view without reducing the distance between visitors and young birds. Keep to the public route. Jul–Aug: usually begin early at an available raised viewpoint for returning waders and Little Egrets along the shallows. Heat haze and strong coastal light can complicate distant identification later. Move between viewpoints to change the angle of the light, then linger where birds are feeding actively. Sep–Oct: typically make the pools and tidal channels the focus of a morning passage watch. Scan small wader groups methodically and inspect drier margins for resting birds. The wide landscape makes a compact field guide useful, particularly when several similar species occur together. Nov–Dec: usually combine a daylight wildfowl watch from the banks with a later search for hunting raptors over the marsh. Finches can gather in flocks in the surrounding vegetation. Finish with enough light for the return across the exposed routes, where wind and rain can make a modest walk feel considerably longer.
RSPB Medmerry opening times, entry and facilities
Entry to Medmerry is free, checked 18 October 2026. The RSPB's charges table separately lists parking free for members and £3 for non-members for up to four hours or £4 for longer. The reserve and car park are described as open 24 hours in the October calendar. Overnight parking and camping are prohibited despite that access listing. Earnley car park, postcode PO20 7JL, has 15 spaces; Easton Lane, PO20 7JY, has five. The official reserve address uses Pagham Harbour's PO20 7NE, so select your actual arrival point before navigating. The small parking areas can fill, and roadside verges or gateways must remain clear for residents and emergency vehicles. Medmerry’s RSPB charges page mentions paying at a visitor centre, while its facilities page says there is no centre. Arrange provisions around your chosen entrance. Check current reserve notices, payment instructions and the coastal forecast before travelling.
Medmerry trails, hides and visit length
Medmerry's visitor routes follow the new sea-defence landscape around open wetland. Use the reserve's trail guide to connect the four raised viewpoints and select a circuit of an appropriate length. The RSPB publishes a total trail network of 10 kilometres, which describes the available paths rather than a single compulsory circuit. Watch from the banks and public outlooks, leaving pools, mud and shingle to the wildlife. Two-hour plan, editorial suggestion: choose either Earnley or Easton Lane as your starting point, identify the nearest suitable wetland viewpoint on the official map and make that the main destination. Spend a sustained spell scanning before returning by the established route. Include a second outlook only if it fits comfortably. This avoids using most of a short visit simply walking between distant corners of the reserve. Full-day plan, editorial suggestion: begin with a Stilt Pools watch, then build a longer route linking contrasting views across the tidal area and inland margins. Pause for lunch away from sensitive feeding areas, and use the afternoon light to revisit the most productive water. An alternative is a morning at Medmerry followed by Pagham Harbour, using the marked connection and allowing time for the transfer. Do not treat the entire reserve network plus both reserves as an effortless short stroll. The bank-top public footpath is not a cycle route, and some paths in the Ham area are also excluded from cycling. Use the permitted bridleways when arriving by bicycle, slowing for walkers and horses. Water sports and unauthorised drone take-off or landing are prohibited. The public banks provide ample scope for a rewarding visit without entering the wetland basin.
Medmerry accessibility and step-free routes
The RSPB describes most of the reserve as flat, with compacted-stone bridleways, some mown grass sections and slight gradients reaching the seawall. These are useful surface descriptions, but the operator still asks wheelchair and pushchair users to contact the team for detailed advice. A long, exposed stone route may be tiring even when its gradient is modest. Explain your equipment, desired distance and need for rest stops before choosing an arrival point. The raised viewpoints have seats, while the published bridleway description says there are no gates or barriers around that track. Earnley parking has a height barrier, which may matter for an adapted van; confirm clearance rather than assuming the reserve's general accessibility information covers your vehicle. Car parks are unlit. If avoiding loose surfaces or inclines is important, ask which specific approach best suits you and whether recent weather has changed it. Plan for the same route on the return, when fatigue, an incoming headwind or reduced visibility may alter what initially looked like a comfortable distance.
Medmerry visitor facilities
Medmerry has no toilets, café, shop or visitor centre. Nearby RSPB Pagham Harbour provides the staffed base, refreshments and toilet facilities, so make any necessary comfort stop before committing to a long bank walk. The operator lists Pagham Harbour's centre as open daily 10am–4pm except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, checked October 2026; those are neighbouring facilities rather than services at every Medmerry entrance. Bring water and a packed lunch for a full day, keep food waste contained, and take litter home. Barbecues are not permitted.
Medmerry dog rules
Dogs may accompany visitors on designated public footpaths and bridleways, kept on a lead and under close, effective control. Wildlife and grazing livestock both need space. Assistance dogs are welcomed throughout the reserve. Follow the mapped rights of way and prevent a dog running down the bank towards resting or feeding birds.
Medmerry public transport and getting there
Chichester is the railway connection for Medmerry. Stagecoach's current Chichester network includes service 51 to Selsey via Pagham Harbour and the 52/53 Witterings circuit. For an Earnley approach, the RSPB identifies the Clappers Lane stop followed by the lane towards Earnley Church and the signed reserve entrance. Select the correct direction and return stop using the current operator timetable. Alternatively, service 51 stops at Pagham Harbour Visitor Centre, from which the RSPB describes a 1.8-mile public-path connection to Medmerry. Include that connecting walk in your day's distance rather than beginning the birding itinerary only on reaching the wetland. A station taxi to a chosen reserve car park is useful where the lane walk, limited daylight or mobility needs make the bus connection awkward. Confirm the pickup location for the return. Cycling visitors can use Route 88 towards Pagham Harbour and the Medmerry Cycle Link, observing the separate on-reserve restrictions described with the trails.
Useful bases for an early start.
Where to stay near Medmerry
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- 01
Chichester
About 7.2 road miles, roughly 16 minutes by car; OSRM estimate measured 18 October 2026, excluding live traffic.
Measured driving route · 18 October 2026. Map estimates exclude live traffic.
Rail arrival and a city base for the Sussex coast.Find places to stay in Chichester on Booking.com - 02
Selsey
About 8.0 road miles, roughly 18 minutes by car; OSRM estimate measured 18 October 2026, excluding live traffic.
Measured driving route · 18 October 2026. Map estimates exclude live traffic.
A coastal base for Medmerry and Pagham Harbour.Find places to stay in Selsey on Booking.com - 03
East Wittering
About 1.8 road miles, roughly 5 minutes by car; OSRM estimate measured 18 October 2026, excluding live traffic.
Measured driving route · 18 October 2026. Map estimates exclude live traffic.
A western coastal base close to the Earnley approach.Find places to stay in East Wittering on Booking.com
Medmerry official sightings, safety and contact
Medmerry enquiries are handled by the Pagham Harbour team at pagham.harbour@rspb.org.uk or 01243 641508. Name the car park and viewpoint you intend to use when asking about route conditions; the reserve is broad enough for a generic access question to miss the relevant detail. The team also provides information about guided walks. Bring a telescope if distant wader identification is the main aim, but keep the equipment clear of shared walking and riding routes. Report damaged signs or livestock problems promptly through the official contact.
Best months for this reserve
Nearby complete guides.
Bird reserves near Medmerry
Stops with a purpose: use one as a contrasting habitat or weather-proof Plan B. Distances are straight-line estimates, not road journeys.
- About 2 miles away · A familiar habitatPagham Harbour Local Nature ReserveWinter waders and geese · summer terns
- About 10 miles away · A familiar habitatFarlington MarshesWinter geese and high-tide waders; spring and autumn passage
- About 14 miles away · A familiar habitatWWT ArundelSpring migration · winter wildfowl · rewarding year-round