Warburg Nature Reserve

Nature reserve with bird hides, a visitor centre with wildlife explorer backpacks and picnic area. Free to visit.

These packs include trail notes, games and spotter sheets with different wildlife to look out for. Kids can follow the trail through the grassy glades, woods and pond at their own pace.

There are an incredible range of habitats and plenty to see, whatever season you visit. 15 species of orchid have been found plus there are a number of rare butterflies. Bluebells and anemones can be seen in the spring or go early in summer to hear the dawn chorus. Autumn is good to see all the turning leaves and different types of fungi and in winter everything is covered in magical looking frost.

Dogs are welcome but must be kept on the lead.

Nature Detectives Trail

It's free, it's fun and it's great for all the family!

From the visitor centre families can pick up a special backpack that includes games, trail notes and spotter sheets for wildlife as tiny as beetles and as big as red kites. Children can follow the trail through the woods, the wildlife pond and the grassy glades at their own pace.

Oddities and rarities

Warburg is BBOWT's best reserve for orchids - 15 species have been recorded here, including fly orchid and bird's-nest orchid. In June and July you can see the yellow bird's-nest, a strange leafless plant that grows in some of the darkest parts of the beech wood.

Warburg is also wonderful for rare butterflies. Oaks provide food for purple hairstreak caterpillars, while the silver-washed fritillary lays its eggs in bark crevices above violets on the ground below.

Get involved

• Try our circular Wildlife Walk (1 mile).  Just follow the badger waymarkers.

• Come along to one of our seasonal guided walks.

• Volunteer! Join our regular work party on the reserve.