Doxey Marshes
Doxey Marshes
A wetland oasis near the centre of Stafford and one of the county’s best bird watching sites!
Highlights
Take an early morning walk in Spring to discover the magic of a wetland dawn chorus
Look and listen for Lapwing performing their tumbling display flight over the pasture in Spring, whilst calling out ‘pee-wit’
Keep an eye out for migrating birds as the reserve is well known for attracting lots of passage species and even the odd rarity!
Visit in the winter months to see large flocks of waterfowl such as Teal, Wigeon and Tufted Duck
Birds Galore!
Doxey Marshes is a fantastic place to discover birds with over 200 species recorded and over 80 breeding species. The reserve is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its nationally important populations of Lapwing, Snipe and Redshank.
The reserve also attracts many rare birds every year, including the first ever Cattle Egret and River Warbler to be recorded in the midlands region!
Not Just Birds!
Although well known as a great bird watching location, Doxey Marshes is also home to regionally significant populations of Otter, Harvest Mouse and Water Shrew. The reserve is also home to a vast array of wetland plants, including the biggest area of Reed-sweet Grass in the Midlands. In Spring the pastures are carpeted with flowers such as Lady’s Smock, Buttercup and Ragged Robin.
Water, water everywhere
The reserve forms part of the River Sow floodplain so is naturally a wet area and will occasionally flood. Most of the large pools on the reserve, known locally as flashes, have formed as a result of subsidence from brine extraction in the 1950s. These flashes are a great place to find many species of water bird including Tufted Duck, Goosander and Great Crested Grebe.
Mud, Mud Glorious Mud
Across the reserve are numerous muddy depressions known as scrapes. These were created to encourage wetland birds such as Lapwing and Redshank to breed, as well as providing feeding points for migrating birds.
How to get there
Directions
There are several routes into Doxey Marshes.
On foot from the town, walk to Sainsburys and follow the River Sow against the flow and you will reach the Marshes after about 10 minutes walking.
The reserve is accessed just off the A513, Eccleshall road off Junction 14 on the M6.
Entrance grid reference: SJ 903 250
Parking & Access
By car there are several parking options.
1. Park at Sainsbury's and follow the directions above.
2. Park on the car park behind Focus on the Greyfriars Industrial Estate and walk on to the reserve from the far corner of the car park onto the cycleway, turn left and access the reserve through the kissing gate by the River.
3. Park by the play park at the end of Creswell Farm Drive / Wooton Drive.
