Reserve Closure
This reserve will close on Thursday 14 November for an all-staff meeting. Please check locally for site specific closure times and details.
Havergate Island
OrfordClosed | Opens SaturdaySee opening timesHop on a boat from Orford Quay and join us on the tiny island of Havergate. Rich in wildlife, discover Avocets, Barn Owls, Wheatears and much more. At the end of the day, it's just a short boat trip back to shore.
About
Havergate Island can be found 2 miles south of Orford. To get there, we take you from Orford on our boat 'October Storm.' The boat trip down the River Ore to Havergate Island will take around 20 minutes. The island, spanning around 500 acres, sits within the estuary and is home to six large shallow salty lagoons, along with other habitats including saltmarshes, vegetated shingles, and mudflats.
Havergate Island is nationally important all year round, supporting thousands of passage, wintering, and coastal breeding birds. During the colder months, it becomes a site for hundreds of wintering waders and ducks. Notably, it hosts one of Suffolk's most important large gull breeding colonies during spring. Remarkably, in recent years, it has become an established site for breeding Spoonbills, with their numbers growing stronger every year. Additionally, the island is home to our well-known and much-loved brown hares all year round.
Booking Information
If you would like to visit Havergate Island you must pre book onto one of our trips which can be found on our booking page (link below).
We offer a variety of different trips to suit everyone from guided, non guided and specialised photography trips. We can also organise private trips for up to 12 people. For this please contact a team member on Havergate.island@rspb.org.uk.
Trips run all year except from May, June and July when we close the Island to visitors throughout the breeding season.
More information can be found on our events booking page or contact us on Havergate.island@rspb.org.uk
⚠ Please note before booking that the island is accessed by a narrow jetty (0.75m wide) with no handrails. A reasonable level of fitness is required for embarking and disembarking the boat and we recommend wearing stout footwear/wellies. The jetty can be wet and slippery at times depending on the state of the tide. There is a single 2km long linear track connecting all of the hides and paths can be wet, muddy and uneven in places.
At a glance
A large Pay and Display carpark can be found in Quay Street opposite the Jolly Sailor Pub and just a few minutes’ walk to Orford Quay where you will jump on the boat taking you over to Havergate.
You can pay with cash or card for the car parking.
A bicycle park and public toilets can also be found I the carpark.
No Accessible toilet on Havergate Island.
At Orford Quay.
Please contact team before booking on Havergate.island@rspb.org.uk to discuss taking a pushchair over to the island.
Not wheelchair Accessible.
One compost toilet on site with alcohol hand wash - there is no running water on site. There are further public toilets at Orford Quay.
BBQs are a fire risk, endangering other people and the precious wildlife and habitats here. They are not permitted on the reserve at any time.
Guide dogs are welcome but please contact a member of our team on Havergate.island@rspb.org.uk before booking.
Dogs
Contact Havergate Island
havergate.island@rspb.org.uk Havergate Island, Orford, Suffolk, IP12 2NU 01728 688959