Elmley National Nature Reserve — Attraction in Borough of Swale

After my previous visit to Elmley Nature Reserve, where I left a 5 star and positive review, I am sad not to be able to do this again after my recent stay|I have been visiting the reserve for many years, when my late father lived in Kemsley, which we both enjoyed and after loosing my dad I like to visit the reserve and spend some quiet time with the wildlife remembering the special times we spent there together.|I stayed last year, for just one night, in the Isley lodge and it was so special. The lodge was lovely and guests having the reserve to themself of a night just made the extortionate stay of £562 for two nights, although expensive, worth it to me. Also having mobility problems and being able to sit in the car waiting for the wildlife to come out of an evening, when the reserve was quiet; especially as it was so hot this year and not a lot of wildlife around during the day, was fantastic last year and I got some lovely photos, which I was looking forward doing again this year |Firstly I had two horrendous night sleeps due to the boiler keep lightening up and then going off, which was so noisy, and every now and then would turn off with an almighty bang shaking the lodge. I assumed it was kicking in as the temperature in the lodge had gone down so I turned the thermostat down to 5 degrees thinking I had solved the problem, which wasn’t the case. I realised then that I should have got this addressed the first day but mentioned this to reception team on my departure so hoping this is addressed before the next guests go in.|As I mentioned, it was very hot the two days I visited and not a lot of wildlife around so went down to the hide to discover no water, just mud and lots of cows so no chance to photograph anything like I had done last year. With the spring/summer we have had I supposed this was to be expected but was a little annoyed when there were 3 reserve helpers in the hide, talking amoung themselves saying that it was the lowest they had ever seen the water. They went on to say that unfortunately the reserve is now all about profit; which I later learnt, and they won’t spend the money to fill the lagoon like they had in the past, so another photographic opportunity missed|Once the reserve had closed and it had cooled down, as I had done last year, I headed down to the start of the reserve to wait for the wildlife to appear and catch some good photos, which I hadn’t managed to do so far. Unknown to me, the reserve decided to hold a gathering for helpers of the reserve. I would wait for the wildlife, who either wouldn’t turn up due to the stream of cars coming through and if they did, as soon as another car came through the wildlife would scatter. At times I had cars sitting up my backside rushing me to go past, not adhering to the 15mph, or I was having to move to allow cars through I was frustrated and ended going back to the lodge with very few photos. As I had another night I was more hopeful that I would see and photograph the second night. However again when the reserve closed I headed down and was met again by a constant stream of cars, many exceeding the speed limit and even someone turning up in a Porsche that was so loud I could here them enter the reserve over a mile away, ideal on a nature reserve! and was worse than the previous night. I later discovered that the reserve had opened the evening to ‘Elmley Reserve Friends’ and also were holding a talk on the Curlew. Again another night with very little wildlife to photograph. If the reserve had been honest and made me aware of the evening events they had organised then I would have cancelled my visit bearing in mind this was the main reason for my visit |On my last morning, I went out early to try and get some wildlife and came across a stoat in the car park, which I had managed to photograph elsewhere on the reserve which I won’t say where to protect them. A lady who drove around in a Suzuki vehicle and lived/staying in the house by the car park, also saw it, she drove over to me and said that a stoat had got in with the curlew the day before and killed 4. She said she would get Simon, who is really good, to shoot them later that day when the reserve was closed. She admitted they also killed any foxes that come onto the reserve. Its sad to think that it is easier to shoot wildlife rather than spending money to make the cage safe. She said where it has been so warm the ground is cracking and the stoats got in this way. The easy solution to that is to spend some money and put flag stones down! She had pet coots and ducks and she was more concerned about the stoat attacking them, unfortunately this is circle of life and what gives the reserve the right to play god to what lives and what doesn’t. I have seen and photographed stoats on the reserve over the years and everything has lived happily together as I am sure they did before the land was bought. Stoats are a food source also for animals like herons and the many marsh harriers you have on the reserve and if these are obliterated they are taking food like voles, mice and rats, that is a food sauce taken away from other animals like owls. This is the first time I have visited and not seen one owl and is this because of the lack of food and the constant disturbance. I don’t know how Simon can one minute show people around the reserve and all the wildlife and the next minute is shooting the wildlife! |Overall unfortunately I did not have a good experience and have made my photography friends, who were also planning to visit, to how the reserve has changed and not for the positive. It saddens me to have to write such a negative review after such a...

I am sad to have to give a negative review after visiting Elmley Nature Reserve for many years with my late father and staying before. |I stayed in the Isley lodge which again was lovely but had two terrible night sleeps with the boiler keep kicking in and on and off making a horrendous banging noise which shook the whole lodge. I thought I had solved the issue the second night by turning the temperature right down to 5 degrees thinking with no heat or water running it would not kick in but it was still lighting up for no reason so mentioned this on departure after two sleepless night sleeps I do not want anyone else to have the same problem but besides this the lodge was lovely as normal|My biggest mark down was on the reserve itself. I know it is very expensive to stay paying £562 for a two night stay in one of their lodges. However, as I have had in my last stay, guests having the reserve to themselves was worth paying this extortionate amount. However this is now not the case so no benefit staying on the reserve. The two nights I stayed was busier of an evening, after the reserve closed, than it was during the day. Unfortunately as it was so hot there wasn’t a lot of wildlife around during the day and with the lagoon at the hide mostly mud, I was hoping that I would be able to photograph nature in the evening. However I learnt the first night that they were inviting all the reserve helpers for a ‘get together’, which wasn’t mentioned when I booked, I headed to the reserve entrance and waited for the wildlife but with the constant stream of cars, it either didn’t turn up or when it did, like the hares and I will regret mentioning, the stoats, then they were scared off with the traffic, in some cases, speeding through the reserve, certainly not at the 15mph. At times I had cars up my backside or having to move to let them through, certainly not what I had paid for! By 8 o clock I gave up thinking I had one more night. However I was wrong, my second night was even worse. They had opened the reserve for ‘Elmley Friends’ and a Curlew talk group. Even having a woman in a Porsche turn up who I could hear speeding down the track over a mile away, with an engine so loud, just what you want on a nice quiet reserve! |It was sad listening to a group of helpers in the hide saying the reserve is now all about profit even they were complaining that no money had been spent to fill the lagoon, which was just mud and cows. They said the reserve had been so quiet recently because money isn’t being spent on things like filling the lagoon. This I experienced, where the reserve are looking at making extra money by opening the reserve of a night over the guests enjoyment the exclusivity of the reserve as had been enjoyed in the past. Any wild birds were a long way out in a bit of water that was left. |The final straw was learning from the lady who drives the Suzuki car and lives/stays in the house telling me, when we spotted a stoat in the car park, which I had spotted and loved photographing in other areas, which I won’t mention for their safety, and putting a call out to Simon, saying that she will arrange for them to be shot later. She said they kill them and the foxes. She mentioned they had got in and killed 3 curlew yesterday. As we all know stoats are predators and opportunists. If a cage isn’t made secure, and it obviously isn’t because she said the ground is cracked and they are getting in there, then Elmley are to blame not the stoat. Again by not spending money to make the cages secure with cement part base and/or predator fencing it is easier for a wild animal to be shot! She was more concerned about the stoat attacking her pet, as she called them, coots. |Unfortunately it is the circle of life and I am bemused and horrified, as a reserve, what gives staff the right to act as god to what lives and what doesn’t. I have seen and photographed stoat on there for years and everything has lived happily together as I am sure they did before the land was bought |This is the first time I have been and not seen one owl, besides the long eared owl who I understand is also very elusive. I strongly believe this is due to the constant disturbance by visitors. It will be interesting how many return next winter after their experience this year. We had the same where I live, where they didn’t return the following year due to disturbance, but this was on open land so was difficult to manage|Overall unfortunately I did not have a good experience and have made my photography friends, who were planning to visit again this year, how the reserve has changed and unfortunately not for the positive and it saddens me having to...

Amazing weekend retreat in nature. I stayed in The Saltbox and it was just perfect. Arrived around 7pm on the Friday and they had arranged a late check in, so we could just go straight to the hut. We had pre-ordered a charcuterie board which was in the hut when we arrived and was perfect. They have thought of everything in the huts which is great; there's bottle openers, a mini fridge, double burner, marshmallows for toasting, hot water bottles, extra blankets, dressing gowns etc.||It was all very clean hut with the worlds most comfortable bed (wish we checked where the mattress was from)! We ordered breakfast to the hut on the first morning, it wasn't clear that we could just order the breakfast sandwich (perhaps we didn't read the menu properly), and we didn't eat the parfait as it was too much. But when we checked out they asked if we just ordered the sandwich or the breakfast menu, which was a little frustrating as we had felt quite wasteful not eating the parfait. But nonetheless, we called the breakfast in and it arrived in less than 20 minutes which was great and very tasty. We went for a walk on the reserve which was also great, it really is a tranquil escape from the city. The team also checked in if we wanted to pre-order dinner to the hut to make sure we didn't miss out, which was great. ||Amazing views in the morning, and I definitely recommend sleeping with the curtains open. If you're a bird watcher, this is literally your dream! We had a pheasant that kept us company most of the stay, which we loved. ||We explored the communal facilities and they were really lovely, albeit we didn't use them. The accommodation is all very private and very well thought out. We saw the main space set up for a wedding too - it looked beautiful! ||There were two things that let it down slightly. One negative is that they give you a very small bucket of firewood for your stay, which wasn't enough to keep the fire going for two hours, and any additional buckets were £15. You could go to the local Morrisons/local farm stores and get twice the amount of wood for £8, which is what we did in the end. |The only other negative was that I had booked the Saltbox specifically for the outdoor bath, however there was no cover and it was full of bird droppings. There was also a note saying not to use products as the water flows into the reserve (totally understandable). But when you see the bird droppings, knowing it can't be sanitised or cleaned, that was a bit of a let down as it's the main reason I booked and we didn't get to use it. We did walk past another hut and the bath did have a cover, so not sure if something had happened to the cover for our one. ||I still think it's worth 5* for the review as all of the staff were lovely and it really is a beautiful, tranquil spot and I will definitely be back. Just hopefully there's a cover over the bath next time and I'll take my...