The Nature Discovery Centre

12/08/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our Solar Eclipse event, we were truly overwhelmed by how many people visited! It was wonderful to see everyone sharing glasses, pinhole boxes and colanders. A huge thank you to Newbury Astronomical Society for attending with their scopes and sharing their knowledge with visitors. 🥰

09/08/2026

Next week (and all through the holidays) we have lots going on for families to enjoy:

🦉 Super Senses Family Trail - every day - pick up a trail leaflet from the shop counter (£2 each) and take a walk around the lake, answering questions as you go.

🪲 Meadow Minibeast Hunt - every Tuesday, 11am, 12pm or 2pm. £6 per child. Booking essential.

🐸 Pond Dipping - every Wednesday, 11am, 12pm or 2pm. £6 per child. Booking essential.

More info and booking: https://www.bbowt.org.uk/events

Find your local Wildlife Trust event and get stuck in to wild activities, talks, walks and much more.

07/08/2026

🌔 Next Wednesday evening there will be a 95% partial solar eclipse, which we hope will be visible from the Nature Discovery Centre. Our friends from Newbury Astronomical Society will be on-hand with their scopes, helping our visitors view the eclipse safely and learn about this incredible phenomenom.

Our amazing cafe team have put together a special home-cooked Indian Thali meal, available between 5.30pm - 7pm. Rice pilaf, vegetable curry, courgette & onion bhaji, carrot raita, chapati, chana masala or spiced chicken skewers. £13 (chana) / £15 (chicken). Their regular range of drinks, cakes and ice-creams will also be available to purchase.

No booking required.

The visitor centre will be open until 8pm and the main gates will be locked at 10pm.

Experience the partial solar eclipse safely with the help of astronomy experts!

06/08/2026

🌳 Last call for our Summer Tree Identification workshop this Saturday! We have three spaces remaining.

Come along and spend the day with wildlife enthusiasts, learn about how to identify trees and then spend the afternoon putting your new-found knowledge to the test on a walk around the nature reserve.

Suitable for adults only. £38 per person (plus booking fee)

Join our expert Andy Holtham for this 1 day course where you will learn to use different features to identify tree species.

05/08/2026

Lost property! We've had loads of hats, water bottles and clothing left behind recently - but this is by far the biggest item!

We usually keep lost property for 3 months (although we don't have space to keep this buggy for that long!)

Drop in or message us with a good description to see if we have your lost things. 🥰

29/07/2026

Looking for somewhere cool to hang out and watch wildlife? Surprisingly, both our lakeside and woodland hides are quite shaded and cool, despite being converted shipping containers! Watch the world go by on the water, or enjoy squirrels trying to steal our fat balls in the woods! 🔭

27/07/2026

We are open today! Mondays are usually our closed day, but during the summer holidays, we'll be open from 10am - 4pm. 😍

Please note the cafe will be serving a reduced lunch menu on Mondays.

25/07/2026

Can you spot the slow worm? This one was discovered in the woods yesterday, curled up keeping cool and very well camouflaged. Did you know slow worms are legless lizards? Find out more about these fascinating creatures - https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/reptiles/slow-worm

22/07/2026

School holidays are here and we have a new healthy-eating kids snack plate on offer! Fruit, veg, pitta, humous and a cheese for £5.50. Yum! 😋

The cafe is open every day 10am - 4pm during the holidays. 🍵
(Reduced menu on Mondays)