Skip To Main Content

  • Accommodation
    • Dont Miss
      • Dog Friendly
      • Family Accommodation
      • Group Accommodation
      • Luxury accommodation
      • Accommodation with Hot Tubs
      • Spa Breaks
      • Accommodation with a Swimming Pool
      • Accommodation with Gyms
      • Something a bit different
      • Green Holidays
    • Bed and Breakfasts
    • Lake District Cottages
    • Self Catering Accommodation
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants with Rooms
    • Pubs with Rooms
    • Camping, Glamping & Caravanning
    • Holiday Parks
    • Hostels
    • Holiday Homes for Sale
    • Cottage Agencies
  • What's On
    • Whats on in the Lake District
    • Platinum Jubilee Celebrations
    • Whats on in Cumbria
    • Festivals
      • Cumbria Dark Skies Festival
      • Hadrian's Wall 1900 Festival
      • Keswick Mountain Festival
      • The Lakes International Comic Arts Festival
      • Marmalade Festival at Dalemain
    • Exhibitions
    • Markets
    • Challenge Events
      • Great North Swim
      • Tour of Britain
      • Windermere Marathon
      • Cross-Bay Walks
      • Traditional Sports
      • Gurning Festival (Egremont Crab Fair)
      • World’s Biggest Liar
    • Cultural Events
      • Winter Droving
    • Food Events
  • Things to Do
    • Bookable Experiences
    • Lake District Activities
    • Lake District Attractions
    • Family Days Out
    • Guided Tours
    • Experiences
      • Animal Experiences
      • Bushcraft Experiences
      • Aerial Experiences
      • Food & Drink Masterclasses
      • Craft Demonstrations & Workshops
      • Gift Experiences
    • Outdoor Activities
      • On the water
      • On the land
      • In the air
      • Lake Cruises & Boat Trips
      • Boat Hire
      • Walking in the Lake District, Cumbria
      • Free Wainwright Podcasts
      • Cycling in the Lake District Cumbria
      • Horse Riding & Pony Trekking
      • Sporting Activities
      • Team Building activities
      • Hen & Stag Activities
    • Adventure Activities
      • Rocks & Ropes
      • Adventure on the water
      • Extreme & Off Road
      • Adventure Training
    • Accessible Activities
    • Health & Wellbeing
      • Forest Bathing
      • Yoga
      • Wild Swimming
      • Gym & Swim
    • History and Heritage
      • Historic Houses, Parks & Gardens
      • Cumbrian Castles
      • Cumbrian Churches
    • Arts and Culture
      • Independent Cinema
      • Theatre & Live Performance
      • Galleries & Exhibitions
      • Museums
      • Festivals
      • Famous Artists, Poets & Writers
      • TV & Film Locations
    • Wildlife & Nature
    • Shopping
      • Lake District Produce
    • Traditional Sports
    • Safety/Adventure Smart
  • Food and Drink
    • Restaurants
    • Pub Food and Gastro Pubs
    • Cafés
    • Afternoon Tea
    • Breweries and Distilleries
    • Local Produce
    • Recipes from The Lake District Cumbria
    • Interviews with Cumbrian Food Producers
    • Dog-friendly places to eat
    • Family-friendly places to eat
    • Vegetarian & Vegan
    • Fine dining
    • Foraging & Bushcraft
  • Explore Cumbria
    • Areas of Cumbria
      • The Lake District
      • Carlisle & Hadrian’s Wall
      • Eden Valley & North Pennines
      • Morecambe Bay
      • Western Lakes & Coast
      • Where The Lakes Meets The Dales
    • Dark Sky Cumbria
    • Cumbria Year of the Coast 2021
    • World Heritage Cumbria
    • Lakes and Rivers
    • Mountains and Fells
    • Wainwrights
    • Historic Houses, Parks & Gardens
    • Cumbrian Castles
    • Cumbrian Churches
    • Harbours & Marinas
    • Access for all
    • Travel
      • Getting To Cumbria
      • Getting Around Cumbria
      • Sustainable Adventures
      • Buses
      • Trains
      • Airports
      • Car, Minibus & Campervan Hire
      • Cycle Hire in the Lake District Cumbria
      • Boat Hire
      • Guides & Tours
      • Taxis
      • Car Parking and Car Charging
      • Group Travel
      • Travel Inspiration – Itineraries
    • Tourist Information Centres
  • Ideas and Inspiration
    • Christmas & New Year
    • Rainy day ideas
    • Sunny day ideas
    • Selfie Guide
    • Suggested Itineraries
    • Spa Breaks
    • Romantic Breaks
    • Family Holidays
      • Make your own Lake District Plan Jar
      • Lake District Inspired Family Activities
    • Dog Friendly Holidays
    • Bespoke Holidays
    • Green and Environmental Holidays
    • Caring for the environment
      • Lake District Foundation
      • Safety/Adventure Smart
  • Weddings
    • Wedding Venues
    • Cakes & Catering
    • Entertainment
    • Stag & Hen Parties
    • Honeymoon & Minimoon
    • Transport
    • Spa Treatments
  • Conferences
    • Conference venues with rooms
    • Attraction Venues & Meeting Spaces
    • Functions, Banquets and Corporate Event Venues
    • Team Building
    • Event Organisers, Catering & Suppliers
  • Offers, Prizes & Guides
    • Subscribe to our special offers Newsletters
    • Prize Draws
      • Win a Lake District Family Break for 4
      • Win a 3 Night Lake District Staycation for 4
      • Win a Luxury Spa Break in The Lake District
    • Gift Vouchers
    • Free Downloads
      • Download Free Desktop Wallpaper
      • Download Free Mobile Wallpaper
      • Download Free Lake District Zoom Backgrounds
      • Download Free Wainwright Podcasts
    • Order a free holiday guide
    • Download Free Guides
  • Hints and Tips Blog

Don't Miss

  • Sign up to receive our newsletter containing news and special offers from the Lake District, Cumbria.

    Subscribe to our Newsletter

  • The Lake District, Cumbria Adventure Guide

    View the new digital Adventure Guide

  • Site Logo
  • Print Logo
Site Search Icon

My Planner

To build your own Itinerary, click Add to Excursion to add an item to your Itinerary basket.

Already saved an Itinerary?

List All My Saved Itineraries

Language
  • DE
  • EN
Menu

You are here: Home > Things to Do > Hodbarrow Nature Reserve

Hodbarrow Nature Reserve

Hodbarrow Nature Reserve
  • Hodbarrow Nature Reserve
  • Hodbarrow Nature Reserve

Type:Nature Reserve

RSPB Hodbarrow, Mainsgate Rd, Millom, Cumbria, LA18 4JY

Add Hodbarrow Nature Reserve to your Itinerary

Close window

Call direct on:

Tel01697 351330

About

Hodbarrow Nature Reserve is a coastal lagoon and area of grassland which is located on the site of a former iron mine on the west coast of Cumbria, close to the town of Millom.

The reserve is a fabulous place to see a range of wildlife, including breeding terns, ringed plovers, redshanks, oystercatchers and great crested grebes - a protected species that was once almost hunted to extinction.

The site ovderlooks the Duddon Valley and comprises a freshwater lagoon within a sea wall, with a rich array of flower and insets comunities living there.

Hodbarrow is maintained by the RSPB and the lagoon is managed in such a way as to encourage and sustain breeding numbers of little terns, common terns and sandwich terns, and aim to increase little tern productivity. Access is restriced during the breeding season both on land and from boats, when signs and patrols are in place.

The site is a great place to have a picnic and it is family-friendly. Follow nature trails or go for a walk around the lagoon seawall and visit the hide from May to July, to watch the tern colony in full swing, with birds commuting to and from the estuary at close range.

Getting to Hodbarrow Nature Reserve

By train

The closest station is Millom, which is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away. To get to Hodbarrow from Millom station, turn left out of the station towards Millom town centre. From Millom town square continue east beyond the pedestrian crossing, taking the second right (Mainsgate Road signposted for Hodbarrow RSPB). Continue for about 0.5 mile (0.8 km), turning left by the lagoon for access to the reserve.

By road

From Millom town square, continue east taking the second right (Mainsgate Road signposted for Hodbarrow RSPB). Continue for about 0.5 miles (0.8 km), turning left by the lagoon for the reserve car park.

 

Book Tickets

Map & Directions

Map Link

Click here to view map

What's Nearby

  1. Haverigg Beach
    Haverigg Beach

    Haverigg beach on Cumbria’s west coast sees shingle turn to sand as you walk further from…

    0.94 miles away
  2. Lacra Stone Circles
    Lacra Stone Circles

    Remnants of five stone circles and two possible stone avenues, circles range from 14' to…

    2.14 miles away
  3. Silecroft Beach
    Silecroft Beach

    A beautiful golden sandy beach stretching for around 3 miles. Park at the car park and…

    3.59 miles away
  1. Black Combe - Photo by Mark Winterbourne from Leeds. West Yorkshire, United Kingdom / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
    Black Combe

    The long ridge of Black Combe rises almost from the sea and is linked to the Ulpha Fells…

    4.55 miles away
  2. Animal Experiences at South Lakes Safari Zoo in Lindal-in-Furness, Cumbria
    Safari Zoo

    Rhinos, Tigers, Giraffes, Lions and Bears living in the heart of the Lake District….this…

    4.7 miles away
  3. Furness Abbey, Barrow-in-Furness
    Furness Abbey

    Now a ruin, Furness Abbey was once the second most powerful Cistercian monastery in…

    5.21 miles away
Previous Next

You may also like

  • Bookable Experiences

  • Download Guide

  • Gift Vouchers

  • Itineraries

  • E-newsletter Sign Up

  • Blog

Stay in Touch

Follow The Lake District, Cumbria on Social Media

Sign up for E-newsletter

Receive all the latest news, special offers and information from the Lake District, Cumbria

Sign Up
  • Cumbria Tourism Website
  • Advertise on VisitLakeDistrict
  • Press & Media
  • Cumbria Tourism Business Videos
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs in the Lake District, Cumbria
  • Site Map
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Lake District Produce
  • Subscribe to our special offers Newsletters
  • Sustainable Adventures
  • World Heritage Cumbria
  • Wainwrights
  • Romantic Breaks
  • Selfie Guide
  • Accommodation
  • What's On
  • Things to Do
  • Food and Drink
  • Lake District Weddings
  • Access for all
Contact Us

Cumbria Tourism, Windermere Road, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9PL

Made by Simpleview Logo
Beyonk Logo
Experience Booking Powered by Beyonk

Ratings Powered By

tripadvisor

Cumbria Tourism

© Cumbria Tourism