Seaton Wetlands

Nearly 4km of level trails and boardwalk through beautiful marshland and reed beds alongside the river Axe, home to an abundance of wildlife.

Seaton Wetlands are made up of three Local Nature Reserves - Seaton Marshes, Black Hole Marsh and Colyford Common. There is also an area known as Stafford Marsh, where you will find the Discovery Hut and hide, pond shelter, classroom,  toilet facilities and wildlife garden.

The Discovery Hut is staffed by volunteer wardens most weekends throughout the year - from here you can find out more about the Wetlands, hire pond dipping equipment and have a cup of tea or coffee. Contact the Countryside team to check opening hours for your visit.

The Axe Estuary Ringing Group also demonstrates bird ringing from the Discovery Hut - a great chance for the public to see wild birds up close. Check the Countryside events page (link at the bottom of this page)  for dates, but please bear in mind that the event is subject to suitable weather conditions and may be cancelled at very short notice. Bird ringing is a valuable source of information - birds are weighed and measured before having an identifying ring put on, allowing individual birds to be identified, which is nearly impossible in the field. Thus data can be collected around the world for that bird, enabling us to learn about its movements and lifespan.

At Stafford Marsh you will find a thatched field shelter constructed during spring 2015 by the Tuesday volunteer group.  This was built mainly to provide shelter from the summer sun for visiting school groups, but also as an example of what can be done using materials harvested from the site.

The signposted trails at the Wetlands make them ideal for a peaceful stroll in the fresh air; you can also have fun pond dipping, or enjoying a picnic with family and friends as well as getting to see your wonderful  local wildlife up close from the five hides.

Seaton Marshes is a freshwater grazing marsh, with scrapes, ditches and ponds that attract considerable wildlife interest, from wildfowl and wading birds in the winter to dragonflies and butterflies in the summer. The hide offers views over a creek in the lower estuary, as well as the marsh. In the winter months this is a great place to look for kingfishers and small waders, such  as Redshank and Common Sandpipers, while the lagoons and scrapes on the marshes support feeding Snipe, Little Grebe and Shoveler duck.

Seaton Marshes also contains the beautiful Borrow Pit pond, managed by the Countryside team on behalf of Axe Vale and District Conservation Society.  Otters have been seen here, and the pond and surrounding ditches are full of dragonflies and damselflies through the summer.