Wildlife park you’ve probably never heard of named England’s best large attraction – with canoe safaris and splash zone
A NATURE reserve in Gloucestershire has been named the best large visitor attraction in the country.
Visit England has crowned WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre as the country’s best large visitor attraction, beating the likes of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter and ROARR! to the top spot.
According to VisitBritain, the Visit England Awards for Excellence “champion the very best of the country’s tourism industry – celebrating quality, innovation and customer service.”
The Gold, Silver and Bronze winners for the Visit England Awards for 2024 were announced on June 5, 2024, at the Titanic Hotel Liverpool.
Awards are dished out to hotels, holiday rentals, attractions, restaurants and museums, with WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre named the Gold winner for the best large visitor attraction.
The Wildlife and Wetland Trust (WWT) at Slimbridge was set up by Peter Scott in 1946, becoming the WWT’s very first centre.
Located halfway between Bristol and Gloucester, Slimbridge is set across over 800 acres of wetlands.
It’s home to several different species of ducks, geese and swans.
There are other animals too, including cranes, flamingo, otters, amphibians and insects.
Brit holidaymakers who visit WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre over the summer can expect to spot dragonflies and damselflies.
Most chicks will have hatched by June, which means visitors will be able to spot birds like swallows, yellow wagtails, reed warblers, cuckoos and even ospreys.
In 2021, WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre celebrated its 75th anniversary by opening a wave of new exhibitions and several other immersive wildlife experiences, including Canoe Safaris.
Spread across 1km, the Canoe Safari Trail gives wildlife enthusiasts the chance to spot dragonflies, kingfishers, warblers, ducks and water voles as they paddle through the water.
The trail is open daily between April to September as well as set weekends in October.
There are plenty of other attractions set inside the huge nature reserve, including a Living Wetland Theatre.
Inside the 360-seat open-air theatre, visitors can watch birds flying overhead and learn more about each species.
A statement on the website reads: “Sit back and relax and watch one of our films or interactive live demonstrations hosted by our specialist team as they uncover the science behind wetland conservation.”
Earlier this year, the Summer Walkway reopened for the season.
The wheelchair accessible walkway and viewing platform overlook the River Severn, with plenty of opportunities to glimpse different animal species.
Visitors will be able to watch wildlife from the Goose House – a former shooting lodge built in the 1800s.
Those visitors who want to explore the nature reserve with a guide, will be able to adventure through the centre’s acres with the site’s Reserve Wardens and Volunteers.
Wild Safaris operate every weekend until September at 11.30am and 2pm, with tours lasting 90 minutes.
Daily services also operate in July and August, with tours costing £5 for a full-paying adult and £3.50 for a child.
For younger guests there’s also Welly Boot Land – a play area featuring lily pad trampolines, climbing trees, log tunnel and basket swing.
Welly Boot Land also has a water play area with streams and dam.
There’s also the Riverlife playground, a pond dipping experience and Wild Play area where kids can build dens and other attractions.
Other attractions include the Scott House Museum, where visitors are invited to step back in time to the former Olympian’s house.
This was an amazing experience
Visitors can also book to stay overnight at the nature reserve at Bewick’s Lodge in Scott House.
The self-catering accommodation has three double bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a dining room.
There are plenty of other facilities inside the wildlife park, including the Kingfisher Kitchen – a cafe serving a selection of hot and cold food, snacks, drinks and ice cream.
Other facilities include an on-site shop and VIP experiences like photography workshops and a private safari reserve.
Visitors have praised the WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre on TripAdvisor, with a 4.5 star rating from more than 1,500 reviews on the platform.
One person wrote: “This was an amazing experience; it has been many years since we last visited and it was simply wonderful.”
Another person added: “We thoroughly enjoyed our recent visit to Slimbridge – made even better by being lucky enough to see a Kingfisher preening itself for at least 5 mins from the hide.”
Entry tickets to WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre cost cost £18.95 for a full-paying adult and £12.50 for children aged between four and 17.
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