The Best Nature Reserves in Norfolk
Travelling in the summer doesn’t have to mean leaving the UK; there are so many amazing national nature reserves where you can relax and spend quality time with your family during the summer holidays.
Norfolk has a lot to offer in terms of beauty and the wildlife that resides there. You can have fun birdwatching or seal spotting along the Norfolk Coast.
We have pulled together a list of our favourite award-winning nature reserves in Norfolk.
National Nature Reserves
Buxton Heath
Buxton Heath, in North Norfolk, is a prime example of a dry, acidic heathland, which is one of the most threatened habitats in Britain. In the summer months, you’ll find it filled with purple heather and butterflies. Including the Silver-studded Blue Butterfly, a species that thrives in this environment, thanks to conservation efforts.
If you’re lucky, you may also catch a glimpse of a Woodlark singing its song on a Spring morning, or a Nightjar hanging around on a Summer evening. Buxton Heath is an important nature reserve in Norfolk, and one you won’t regret visiting.
Foxley Wood
Foxley Wood is a breathtaking woodland environment that is mostly known for its Spring Bluebells, a time when it will remind you of magical gardens. It’s also home to many common woodland birds, insects, and other flowering plants.
If you’re planning a trip here, make sure you look out for the Nuthatch, Treecreepers, and the Marsh Tit on the nature trail. If you love birds, you’ll be pleased to hear this location is also home to the declining species: the spotted flycatcher!
Alderfen Broads
The Alderfen Broads are tucked away in the heart of the Norfolk Broads, which makes it the perfect spot for a touch of peaceful wildlife spotting all year round.
In the summer, this nature reserve is filled with insects like the Swallowtail Butterflies and the Hawker Dragonfly. You’ll also hear the song of some feathered friends, Cetti’s Warbler around this time, as well as the Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, and, if you’re lucky, the Grasshopper Warbler.
In the winter, Wildfowl call this their home. And birds like Osprey often stop off here on their migration route. If you look into the Alder trees, you’ll spot Siskins and Lesser Redpolls.
Ranworth Broad
Ranworth Broad is a wet carr woodland and reed fen, with a visitor centre at the end of the trail. Throughout this visit, you'll be deep in a reedbed with wildlife every way to turn. It's important to note that a lot of this train is not accessible on foot, but there are guided boat trips that will allow you to enjoy this space.
From Reed Warblers nesting to the Swallowtail butterfly, you'll be spotting new creatures the whole way around.
If you're lucky, you may also spot a pair of Ospreys who sometimes spend the summer at this nature reserve!
In the winter, it is home to wildfowl, gulls and marsh harriers (who are present all year round). Sometimes, a family of otters play together along the edge of the broad.
Blakeney Point
Blakeney Point is situated on the North Norfolk coast and is a four-mile-long shingle beach that is home to residential and migratory wildlife species.
This nature reserve is very important, as it is home to a summer breeding Tern colony, and Grey Seals that breed in the winter. So it's a great spot for any wildlife lovers all year round!
The best way to enjoy Blakeney Point is via a ferry trip from Morston Quay.
Watatunga Wildlife Reserve
Hidden among the quiet lanes of West Norfolk, Watatunga Wildlife Reserve is a conservation site that offers an unforgettable window into the world of endangered deer and fauna. Just outside King’s Lynn, this 170-acre reserve brings together wetlands, wildflower meadows, and regenerating woodland to create a sanctuary where rare species can thrive.
Watatunga is home to one of the UK’s most diverse collections of endangered deer and antelope, including striking species like the Eastern Mountain Bongo and Père David’s Deer, animals facing extinction in the wild. These creatures live alongside rare birds and other fauna in carefully restored habitats designed to support natural behaviour, reproduction, and conservation success.
