RSPB - giving nature a home
Search
Close
Skip to content
Shop | Community
Log in | Sign up
  • About the RSPB
      About us
    • Our History
    • What we do
    • How the RSPB is run
    • RSPB Media Centre
    • RSPB job vacancies
    • At home & abroad
    • International
    • England
    • Northern Ireland
    • Scotland
    • Wales
    • Get in touch
    • Contact us
    • RSPB offices
    • Connect with us your way
      Our activities
    • Gardening for wildlife

      Gardening for wildlife

      See our ideas to keep you connected to nature during coronavirus

    • Connect with us your way

      Connect with us your way

      From our regular emails to your favourite social media, there’s more than one way to keep in touch with nature

    • Our History

      Our History

      Discover how a campaign against feathers in fashion sparked a global force to save nature with more than a million members

  • Our work
      Nature conservation
    • Conservation and sustainability
    • Projects
    • Landscape scale conservation
    • Centre for Conservation Science
    • Satellite tracking birds
    • RSPB News
    • RSPB News
    • 'Our work' blog
    • Policy and Insight
    • Policy and Insight: England and Westminster
    • Casework
      Featured news
    • Mindful mornings

      Mindful mornings

      If you can’t get outside, why not bring the outside in by downloading our bird song radio app?

    • How nature can help protect our homes

      How nature can help protect our homes

      Following the floods this winter, watch how one area is using nature as a natural protector.

    • Casework

      Casework

      Catch up with the RSPB’s own nature detectives on the case as they look to save some very special places.

  • Birds and wildlife
      Wildlife guides
    • Identify a bird
    • Bird A-Z
    • Other garden wildlife
    • Guide to birdwatching
    • What is the Red List for UK birds?
    • Nature's Calendar
    • Nature's Home magazine
    • About Nature's Home magazine
    • Birds and wildlife articles
    • RSPB Podcasts
    • Nature's Home blog
    • Birds and Wildlife Advice
    • How you can help birds
    • Gardening for wildlife
    • Ask an expert
    • Wildlife and the law
    • How to report crimes against wild birds
    • Bird songs
    • Which bird song is that?
    • Most popular bird guides this month
    • Bird migration

      Bird migration

      Migrating birds have travelled thousands of miles just to get here. Find out why.

    • Who to contact if you spot an injured or baby bird

      Who to contact if you spot an injured or baby bird

      Read more advice about what to do if you find a bird that needs help

    • In for a duck

      In for a duck

      It’s nesting season for our waterfowl too but what are the rules you need to follow for ducks, geese or swans?

  • Get Involved
      Activities
    • Big Garden Birdwatch
    • Nature on Your Doorstep
    • RSPB Competitions
    • Dolphinwatch
    • #MyClimateAction
    • Community & advice
    • Join our local groups
    • How green are you?
    • RSPB Community
    • Get involved blog
    • Volunteering & fundraising
    • Volunteer
    • Fundraise
    • Help nature thrive as a corporate partner
    • Our grant funders
    • Campaigning
    • Campaigning in Scotland
    • Campaigning in Wales
    • Campaigning in England
    • Campaigning in Northern Ireland
    • The nature and climate emergency
    • Protecting wildlife sites
    • Campaign with us
    • Top activities to do
    • Nature on Your Doorstep

      Nature on Your Doorstep

      Great ideas on how your garden, or even a small backyard or balcony, can become a mini nature reserve

    • How green are you?

      How green are you?

      See some of the ways you can get into green living.

    • Campaigning

      Campaigning

  • Reserves & events
      Reserves A-Z Events Find a reserve
      Top reserves this month
    • Marshside

      Marshside

      This fantastic wetland site is located north of Southport town centre and has some of the best wildlife in the region.

    • Lytchett Fields

      Lytchett Fields

      The reserve has seen more than thirty species of wading birds.

    • Arne

      Arne

      Heathland home to more than 2565 species.

  • Fun & learning
      For teachers
    • Supporting resources
    • Wild Challenge
    • School outreach visits
    • Big Schools Birdwatch
    • Sign up for the newsletter
    • School trip ideas
    • For kids
    • Fun factoids for all the family
    • Games and activities
    • Kids stories
    • RSPB kids competitions
    • For families
    • Big Wild Sleepout
    • Wild Challenge
    • Nature reserves for families
    • Robin Robin
    • Cameron's Cottage
    • Your Support
    • About Cameron's cottage
    • Latest kids' activities
    • Wild Challenge

      Wild Challenge

      Nature is an adventure waiting to be had. Get out, get busy and get wild!

    • Fun factoids for all the family

      Fun factoids for all the family

      Find out more about the nature and wildlife outside your window.

    • Youth membership

      Youth membership

      As well as a free gift and magazines, you’ll get loads of ideas for activities to try at home.

  • Join & Donate
      Join us
    • Choose a membership
    • Family membership
    • Youth membership
    • Gift membership
    • Nature is stronger with you on its side. Become a Life Fellow today.
    • Renew your membership
    • Donate
    • Philanthropy & Major Gifts
    • Our appeals
    • Make a one-off donation
    • Make a regular donation
    • In Memory Donations
    • Plant a celebration tree
    • In Memory Booklet
    • Leave a gift to nature in your Will
    • Why Include a Gift to Nature in Your Will
    • How to Include us in Your Will
    • Information for executors & solicitors
    • Download your free guide
    • Other ways to help
    • Gift Aid
    • Support us when you shop
    • RSPB Images
    • RSPB second-hand binocular scheme
    • Win with the RSPB
    • Payroll Giving
    • Stamp out albatross deaths
  • Login to your account Sign up for an RSPB account
  • Shop
  • Community
  • Home
  • Reserves & events
  • Reserves A-Z
  • Carsington Water

Carsington Water

gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
Address
RSPB Shop, Unit 1, Carsington Water Visitor Centre, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 1ST
Grid ref
SK241515
What3Words
uncouth.orders.protected

Owned and managed by Severn Trent Water, Carsington Water is a large reservoir surrounded by wildflower meadows and native woodlands, ponds and reedbeds. Explore on your own or get some birdwatching advice from our staff in the RSPB shop, where you can watch for buzzards, kingfishers and lapwings.

Plan your visit

Opening times

Our RSPB shop is located in the courtyard here at Carsington Water. We are open as follows:

  • April-September: daily, 11am-5pm. 
  • October-March: daily, 11am-4pm.

Festive opening times

  • Christmas Eve: open, 11am-4pm.
  • Christmas Day:  closed.
  • Boxing Day: open, 11am-4pm.
  • New Year’s Eve: open, 11am-4pm.
  • New Year’s Day: open, 11am-4pm.
  • All other days in the festive period are open our usual winter opening hours as above.

Other facilities: Carsington Water is owned by Severn-Trent Water. Please check their website for opening times of other facilities at this site. 

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Children
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Car park cost

This is not an RSPB-run car park, so there is unfortunately no free parking for RSPB members. 

Please see Severn Trent Water's car parking information for details of parking charges at this site. 

Facilities

  • Visitor centre
  • Car park
  • Toilets
  • Accessible toilets
  • Baby changing
  • Pushchair friendly
  • Café
  • Picnic area
  • Viewing point
  • Shop

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Matlock Bath is the closest station, about 6 miles away. You can catch a bus from there to Carsington.

By bus

Buses run to the Carsington Water car park from Ashbourne, Wirksworth, Matlock and Chesterfield.

By road

The visitor centre is off the B5035 between Ashbourne and Wirksworth. Look out for the brown and white 'Carsington Water' signposts throughout the local area.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Get directions from Google Maps
View on What3Words
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Contact Carsington Water

  • RSPB Shop, Unit 1, Carsington Water Visitor Centre, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 1ST
  • carsington.water@rspb.org.uk
  • 01629 541842

What will you see?

Our star species

    Perched Buzzard illustration

    Buzzard

    Listen for their mewing calls, or keep an eye out for them as they soar overhead on sunny days.

    Great crested grebe, summer plumage

    Great crested grebe

    Watch the amazing courtship ritual of great crested grebes on the open water in spring.

    Perched Kingfisher illustration

    Kingfisher

    Spend time in the hides and you may be rewarded with an unforgettable kingfisher encounter.

    Standing Lapwing illustration

    Lapwing

    In spring, lapwings breed here. Visit then and you'll see their weird and wonderful displays.

    Male Tufted Duck

    Tufted duck

    This diving duck is a common breeding bird here. Look out for broods of brown ducklings in late spring and summer.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

Get great views of ducklings from the Severn Trent Wildlife Centre. Look out for kingfishers catching fish for their young. As the weather starts to warm up, cycle or walk the eight miles around the reservoir.

Over summer, you might spot a buzzard soaring across the reservoir. The meadows are illuminated with wildflowers such as bee orchids, yellow rattle and buttercups. You can also go sailing on the Severn Trent reservoir.

In autumn, watch out for flocks of floppy-winged lapwings flying overhead and little grebes on the reservoir.

Watch out for scarcer birds like the great northern diver, which should be on the coast. 

About Carsington Water

Habitat

Carsington Water boasts a range of wildlife habitats from ancient hedgerows, species-rich wildflower meadows and native woodlands, to pond and scrapes, reedbeds and contains carefully-managed islands. 

Conservation

Carsington Water is owned and managed by Severn Trent Water. Since its construction, there have been more than 215 bird species and more than 30 mammal species recorded. 

Site information

Carsington Water is a large reservoir.

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

For more information on events and to book tickets, please visit events.rspb.org.uk/carsingtonwater

Leisure activities

There are extensive opportunities for outdoor activities including cycle hire, picnic areas, a climbing wall, adventure playground and sailing club. 

Share this

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

You might also be interested in

Coombes Valley RSPB reserve. Staffordshire, England. Fields are managed by grazing or mowing, to benefit wild flowers & insects. May

Coombes Valley

Coombes Valley is a wonderful woodland reserve perfect for nature enthusiasts to explore and for families to have fun.
A group of people in hiking gear walking through a hilly landscape

Volunteer

At the RSPB there are hundreds of ways you can volunteer and take action to help save nature.
RSPB Giving Nature a Home Campaign

Join us - legacy

Become an RSPB member by signing up here.

We spend 90% of net income on conservation, public education and advocacy

Quick links

  • Contact us
  • Online Community
  • Vacancies
  • Media centre

Information for

  • Teachers
  • Policy makers
  • Farmers & landowners
  • Scientists

Our work in

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland
  • International

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Email

Partnering with

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International.

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International. Find out more about the partnership

Fundraising Regulator logo OSCR logo

© The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

  • Terms & conditions
  • Cookie policy
  • Privacy policy
  • Charter and statutes
  • About our site
  • Modern Slavery Act

Cookie Preferences

Accepting all non-essential cookies helps us to personalise your experience

Edit settings
Accept all

Essential cookies are required

These cookies are required for basic web functions

Enable analytics cookies

Allow us to collect anonymised performance data

Enable marketing cookies

Allow us to personalise your experience

Save settings
Read our cookie policy