Portbury Ashlands which is now known as Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve is a nature reserve between Portishead and the Royal Portbury Dock in Somerset, England. It was formed from the redevelopment of the area of Portishead formerly occupied by two power stations.
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AI.
I had looked into visiting the wharf for a while as we are avid walkers/nature lovers. So on mothers day we took the decision to take a look.
The satnav takes you to a closed carpark as it is being used by hinckley power until 2025. There is no alternative parking nearby. There is some street parking or carparks by the marina which is about 13 mins walk away.
The wharf has level pathways enclosed by hedges trees and reens. Ideal for dog walking, cycling and pushchairs.
Sadly Hinckley power has ruined this area for the foreseeable future as they complete the new power pylons running through the middle. A real blot on the landscape.
However there are a few sweet spots. The 2 hides that were accessible were great for quietly sitting and watching the wildlife and birds. We were fortunate to see lots of ducks, swans, geese, gulls, coots and even deer. There were also an abundance of songbirds in the hedges along the pathway.
I will defiantly return once the work has been completed on the pylons to see if he outlook /overall appearance has been improved.
The maps and signs are little basic and can cause confusion on what's available and how to get there, I'm sure there were many areas we missed through lack of knowledge.
TIP: take binoculars, camera and boots especially...
Read more
Very dissaponted, again. I am going with camera and bioculaers to see birds. We park at the end of Warf Lane, and make the mistake of going left; so the first time we were going away from the lagoons into the work being done on power lines; the second time we walk for an hour on paths line with trees and hefdges with no views, to end up at Portbury. Apparantly we should have turned right halfway. No signage, even on a gate to a small hide discovered on the way back; "hide" and an arrow would be useful. Saw some shovellers (worth three stars). So, maps that tell you where you are and where the hides are, and signs that direct you to areas and...
Read more
Great and easy access for young families, runners, cyclists, wheelchair, mobility users and walkers. Set out superbly. However, as. 20+ years photographer, the bird hides are not in a great position. Well made and very well looked after, but not in positions to capture wildlife shots. Huge shame. Especially the large one on stilts. Can't see any birds from it. Disappointed. But the reserve is a beautiful place, very much...
Read more
