Wildlife reserves · Northern Ireland
WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre
In or near Killinchy.
WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre — nature reserve in United Kingdom.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–4 h
- Best time of year
- Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre is located in Northern Ireland, with the postcode BT23 6EA. Entry is free, and the site is operated by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.
About
WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. Managed by Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. Address: BT23 6EA. Wikidata describes it as: "nature reserve in United Kingdom". Coordinates: 54.5294°, -5.6981°.
Photo gallery
About this reserve
Adventure play areas Dart, zip and zoom around our nature-based play areas as you unleash your inner dragonfly Summer Pond Dipping Summer Pond Dipping at WWT Castle Espie Join us on Tuesdays throughout the summer at WWT Castle Espie for an exciting hands-on nature experience: Pond Dipping! From Wednesday 1 July to Wednesday 26 August, dive into the fasci World Wetland Aviary & Diving Duck Talk Meet our ducks and geese from around the world and join handfeeding sessions! Sam Fleming Exhibition 18 April - 17 May Make & Create: Bank Holiday Crafts with Boom Studios 4 May Gathering Stitches Festival 9 - 10 May Colin and Sylvia Dales Exhibition 23 May - 21 June We are WWT, the charity for wetlands and wildlife. In a world full of challenges, we're on a mission to restore wetlands and unlock their power. Because when wetlands thrive, so do we.
From the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, reproduced under fair-use summary for visitor information.
Summary from the official site
WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre is a nature reserve that offers visitors a chance to explore diverse wetland habitats. Guests can participate in various activities such as pond dipping, adventure play areas, and feeding sessions with ducks and geese from around the world.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
Castle Espie is a wetland reserve managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) on the banks of Strangford Lough, three miles south of Comber, County Down, Northern Ireland, in the townland of the same name. It is part of the Strangford Lough Ramsar Site. It provides an early wintering site for almost the entire Nearctic population of pale-bellied brent geese. The Castle which gave the reserve its name no longer exists.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
There is archaeological evidence from the Mesolithic period at the site. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, lime was quarried at the site, and processed in Hoffmann kilns. In the nineteenth century, there were also brickworks on the site. The site has been managed by WWT since 1990. ==Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch
Description
It has the largest collection of ducks, geese and swans in Ireland. In addition to the reserve, the site contains The Kingfisher Kitchen, gift and book shop, The Graffan Gallery, exhibition areas, hides, woodland walks, sensory garden, events and activities, free parking, a picnic area The Visitor Centre features award-winning sustainable design including rain water harvesting, natural reed bed filtration systems for waste water, solar power and provides sweeping vistas of the northern shore of Strangford lough from the Kingfisher kitchen.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 54.5294, -5.6981
- District
- Ards and North Down
- Postcode
- BT23 6EA
- Parliamentary constituency
- Strangford
- Phone
- 028 9187 4146
- Official site
- www.wwt.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q24673850 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Castle Espie (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: The ornamental duck pool at Castle Espie 2013-10-31 22-14.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Castle Espie Wetland Centre
Forests & woodlands · 0.4 km
Former Pump House
Historic houses · 0.4 km
Site of Lime Kiln
Archaeological sites · 0.5 km
Island Hill
Viewpoints · 1.9 km
A22 road
Natural landmarks · 2.5 km
Tullynakill
Natural landmarks · 2.7 km
Tudor Cinema
Theatres · 2.8 km
Comber
Natural landmarks · 2.9 km
Drumhirk
Natural landmarks · 2.9 km
Lisbane
Natural landmarks · 3.0 km
Excelsior Cinema
Cinemas · 3.1 km
Kilmood
Natural landmarks · 3.2 km
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Castle Espie Wetland Centre
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre?
- WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre is in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (postcode BT23 6EA).
- What is WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre?
- WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre — nature reserve in United Kingdom.
- How do I get to WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre?
- Drivers can use postcode BT23 6EA.
- Who runs WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre?
- WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre is operated by Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.
- Is WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre free to visit?
- Yes, WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre is free to enter.
- How do I get to WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode BT23 6EA. It sits within the Strangford parliamentary constituency.
- Are dogs allowed at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre?
- Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.