The view of the Tamar-Tavy estuary from Warleigh Point. Photo, Simon Williams
Location
Tamerton Foliot
OS Map Reference
SX 450 608
Know before you go
Entry fee
NoParking information
Limited roadside parking on Station RoadBicycle parking
NoGrazing animals
NoWalking trails
A level path leads to estuary views - this is suitable for most visitors. Some paths elsewhere have steps and can be muddy.
Access
A level path leads to estuary views - this is suitable for most visitors. Some paths elsewhere have steps and can be muddy.
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Open at all timesBest time to visit
All year roundAbout the reserve
Warleigh point nature reserve is one of Plymouth's little secrets. Less than three miles from the city centre this is an oasis of calm, a place to get away from the bustle of Devon's biggest urban centre.
The nature reserve's well-walked paths take you through woodland, dotted with ancient oaks, before giving great views of the Tamar-Tavy Estuaries and beyond into the rolling Cornish countryside.
Contact us
Environmental designation
Female great spotted woodpecker. Photo, Neil Bygrave
Great for birds
A mix of trees and water make the reserve an excellent place to spot a wide range of birds. Wander through Warleigh's woodland and you can see nuthatches, treecreepers and great spotted woodpeckers.
Using the trees as a natural green hide, it's also possible to spot curlews, oystercatchers, redshanks, little egrets and shelducks feeding on the mudflats which surround the reserve at low tide. Look too for some rare flora in the shape of a scattering of wild service trees (a tell-tale sign of ancient woodland) and the evergreen leaves of the shrub, butcher's broom.
With the help of local volunteers we've created a series of woodland glades in the recent years, allowing sunshine to flood in. This has created the perfect place for butterflies including speckled woods and silver-washed fritillaries.
Cured in under an hour
A circular walk, taking in Warleigh's woodland, its estuary views, its glades and its small stream, should only take you 45 minutes to complete - making this reserve the perfect speedy antidote to the stresses of city life!
Little egrets. Photo, Neil Bygrave
Redshank
Warleigh Point nature reserve. Photo, Simon Williams
Woodruff. Photo, Mike Symes
Speckled wood butterfly. Photo, Chris Root
Tawny owl