RSPB Old Moor Reserve
RSPB Old Moor is a 250-acre nature reserve in South Yorkshire’s Dearne Valley.
Up to 8,000 golden plovers and 2000 lapwings provide a winter wildlife spectacle and the Dearne Valley is an important area for breeding and passage wading birds and wintering wildfowl. RSPB Old Moor also has a 250+ colony of tree sparrows. A mix of habitats includes open water, marsh, reedbeds and grassland.
The site is compact, so the furthest hide is just half a mile from the visitor centre, and there are two electric scooters for less mobile visitors. The Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) also passes Old Moor and other RSPB sites, including the nearby Gypsy Marsh and Wombwell Ings.
An excellent range of bird species can be viewed from five superb, easily accessible hides, 4 of the 5 disabled friendly. The visitor centre in converted farm buildings has a 60-seater restaurant upstairs with an additional 30 seater viewing platform overlooking the reserve, and an adjacent bird-feeding garden covered by CCTV relayed into the visitor centre.
The large shop covering the whole of the ground floor carries a wide range of clothing, optics, bird food, nest boxes, books and cards, CD’s, DVD’s, gifts confectionery, ice creams and cold drinks. A section of the shop is specifically designated as a wildlife garden area, selling seeds, garden tools, books and peat free compost, soil improver and grow bags. To cater for cyclists using the TPT, in the shop there is also a small selection of cycle accessories and essentials for sale e.g. puncture outfits, inner tubes, tools and tyres.
The conversion of the old farmhouse into conference facilities and meeting rooms, with catering options, is a further attraction for local businesses to visit the reserve and share a unique experience of meeting with clients or staff in a calm and relaxed atmosphere amongst the birds.
Nearest Train Station: Wombwell
Opening times
1 November – 31 January: visitor centre open 9.30 am – 4 pm. Gates open until 4.30 pm. 1 February – 31 October: visitor centre open 9.30 am – 5 pm. Gates open until 5.15 pm. The site is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Entrance charges
RSPB members free; adults £3; children £1.50; family ticket £6 (any number of children); concessions £2. Free access from Old Moor to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council ‘Passport to Leisure’ and ‘Rothercard’ cardholders.
