London Wetland Centre
WWT London Wetland Centre
Queen Elizabeth's Walk
Barnes, London
SW13 9WT
T: 020 8409 4400
About London Wetland Centre
London Wetland Centre is a family attraction and internationally-renonwed conservation site run by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust at Queen Elizabeth's Walk, Barnes, in south-west London. It offers an informative and quite breathtaking family day out in one of the most stunning vistas in the capital, offering a break from big city life that is hard to beat. While rare flora and fauna are the big draw to the 43-hectare (105 acre) reserve, London Wetland Centre also has numerous interesting exhibits and other diversions for kids of all ages (including those over 18!). There are six hides (some two or three storeys high), a ‘Bird Airport’ observation tower where the flockers and divers can be spotted, and CCTV in the Visitor Centre that allows ticket holders to watch the birds and other animals up close and personal, without disturbing them, in what’s regarded as the premier urban wildlife haven in Europe.
A family day out at London Wetland Centre takes in numerous lakes, lagoons, ponds, marshes and even an artificial deep water reef – used as a nursery ground for fish - accessed via 3.4 kilometers of disabled-friendly pathways (with plenty of toilets and wheelchairs on site), making it a fascinating family attraction for everyone. A ticket to the Visitor Centre provides a chance to see how the Victorian Barn Elms reservoirs, decommissioned in 1994, were converted into the London Wetland Centre by 2000. Welcoming over 200,000 visitors a year, the family attraction boasts 14 different wetlands that harbour 180 species of wild bird species, as well as dragonflies and damselflies, eight types of bat (including Pipistrelle, Noctule and Daubenton's), and seven species of amphibians and reptiles (including the Slow-worm and Common Lizard).
Among the birds that frequent London Wetland Centre are White-spotted Bluethroat, Curlew, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Knot, Whimbrel, New Zealand blue duck, Laysan teal, whitefaced whistling duck, Cetti’s warbler, Swift, Yellow Warbler, Bewick’s swan, bearded tit, water rail, pochard, shoveler, gadwall, widgeon, redshank, lapwing, teal, pintail, lapwing, ring-necked parakeet, sparrowhawk, sand martin, kingfisher, little grebe, great crested grebe, Peregrine Falcon, osprey, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Hobby, and a breeding colony of Sand Martins. A twitcher’s paradise, and worth the price of the ticket alone!
London Wetland Centre additionally nurtures numbers of marsh frogs, foxes, butterflies, highland cattle, ducks and the endangered water vole, whose antics brighten any family day out.
The family attraction was recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 2002 (as the reservoirs had been in 1975 thanks to its seasonal, visiting populations of diving ducks), and regular lectures and events concerned with preserving Britain’s wetland animals are staged at London Wetland Centre (detailed on its website).
As for flora, over 300,000 aquatic plants and 27,000 trees were planted in preparation of London Wetland centre and they are accessible via the Queen Elizabeth Walk and 600 metres of boardwalk, as well as some 27 bridges and 27 sluices. Furthermore, the 2500 square metre Sir Peter Scott Visitor Centre has state-of-the-art interpretation facilities (as does the rest of London Wetland Centre), plus TV screens focusing on various rare birds’ nests and some of the more unusual animals.
A day ticket includes entry to the interactive Discovery Centre, the Explore adventure area for children, Art Gallery, lakeside café, gift shop and film theatre, ensuring a lively and varied family day out. The theatre regularly screens the Planet Water film show, which encapsulates the educational but fun nature of the London Wetland Centre. This is underlined by exhibition areas that include World Wetlands, featuring endangered wildfowl from around the world, and Waterlife, looking at wildlife gardens.
Among the 14 wetland habitats of London Wetland Centre are a Tropical Forest and The Frozen North, which comprises three exhibits representing Siberia, Spitzbergen and Iceland. It has stunted trees, boggy wetlands and alpine meadows. Free guided tours take ticket holders around these zones and, at 3pm each day, the wardens feed the ducks, geese and swans, leading to an exciting cacophony not to be found at your average family attraction.
A family day out at London Wetland Centre can be further enhanced by acquiring compact binoculars and telescopes that are available from the optics shop, while the Water’s Edge Café and ample picnic areas are just the ticket for visitors’ own feeding time. There’s also a shop with wildlife books, outdoor clothing, bird feeders/boxes, cards and souvenirs of London Wetland Centre. Schools can additionally book mini-beast safaris and pond-dipping sessions, while the Great Pond Safari in the reed beds guarantees a thrilling family day out. Indeed, London Wetland Centre’s credentials as an all-round, all-year family attraction are bolstered by the Discovery Centre’s water games, Rain Cloud and Duck Race exhibits, a three-storey peacock tower and the water vole tunnels, not to mention a climbing boulder wall and a hair and pulse-raising zip-wire ride. Just the ticket for those seeking to emulate the flights of London Wetland Centre’s residents!
Groups can also book The Water's Edge for weddings, anniversaries, conferences and meetings, hosting up to 150 people and offering beautiful views across the lakes and pools of London Wetland Centre from a wooden decked balcony. The intimate Tower, with its wildlife mural, caters for 25, while the theatre seats 80, and the Gallery 60. Wardens can be booked to point out rarer species, and tickets can additionally be bought for Dawn Walks taking in a watching and listening tour followed by a hearty breakfast. For children’s birthdays, a professional children's explainer can give a 90-minute entertainment, along with a goody bag – another unique family day out at London Wetland Centre.