Discovery Hub Opens
We are delighted to say that the our Discovery Hub and Attree hide are now open to the public. The formal opening was performed by one of our young visitors Samantha Verrall on Monday 25th October. There has been a lot of wonderful comments from our visitors so far this week on the amazing views across the millpond from the Hub and Hide. Even in the rain we had on our opening day did not dampen the view, it just changed the colours and the activity of the wildlife there.
Here are a few pictures from our opening and our mask making activity.
We would love to hear your views on the new Hub and Hide, please either post a review on our Tripadvisor page or comment on any of our social media outlets, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Alternatively you can complete a review using the link below.
WLNR Discovery Hub Visitor Questionnaire (office.com)
Discovery Hub and Garden
Viewed from Bat Bothy
We are very pleased and proud to announce that the Discovery Hub and Shelley Wildlife Garden will open on Monday 25th October.
To celebrate this and the half term holidays we are offering a range of free activities for children of all ages, including pond dipping, mask making, guided walks and a Halloween trail. All of these events will need to be be booked in advance and can be done via the links in the details below. Please do not contact the Reserve or Herons Rest to book these.
Discovery Hub and Shelley Wildlife Garden | Horsham District Council
As many of you will have noticed if you have visited recently, the construction on the Discovery hub has now been completed. We are currently working on the designs and implementation for the insides.
Work has now begun on the garden redesign and this area is now secured and access to the Reserve has been changed, please follow the new signs to access the Café and toilets . The garden is likely to be completed towards the end of the summer.
Progress to date on the redevelopment of the garden.
Once the garden is completed we will then be able to open the Hub too, watch this space and social media for details of the grand opening. Lots of exciting things are planned.
For those of you who have not been able to get to the Reserve during lockdown below are some pictures of the completed construction phase and some inside shots whilst the building work was being carried out.
Inside the new hide
The new roof detail
The large windows
The approach from the pathway
Viewed from Bat Bothy
30/03/2020 – Construction underway
19//02/2020 – Temporary Closure
30/03/2020 – Construction Underway
Building of the Discovery Hub finally gets underway
At long last, on Monday 30th March the Discovery Hub build finally started, even though the Reserve itself is closed due to Covid-19. The construction is being undertaken by two separate teams made up of family units and following all government guidance on social distancing.
The building itself is due to be completed in late summer and will be followed by the garden redesign.
19/02/2020 – Temporary Closure
Closure of Warnham Local Nature Reserve -24th / 25th/ 28th Feb
In preparation for the Discovery Hub building and Shelley garden the next phase of essential ground work will begin on Monday 24 February.
A number of trees and shrubs in the garden area now have to be removed to enlarge the space and allow for further landscaping as part of the new project. Our resident chickens are also having to re-locate during the works.
For health and safety reasons the reserve will be closed while our contractors are on-site.
It is expected that this will take three days and the reserve is due to re-open on Thursday 27 February.
25/10/2019 – Discovery Trail
New Discovery Trail opens this Half Term at Warnham Local Nature Reserve.
Lots of Half Term fun is lined up as Warnham Local Nature Reserve declares its new Discovery Trail open to visitors from Monday 28 October, just in time for the school holidays: www.horsham.gov.uk/latest-news/news/october-2019/new-discovery-trail-opens-this-half-term-at-warnham-local-nature-reserve
The Discovery Trail, designed for visitors of all ages, follows the paths and boardwalks that surround the Reserve’s millpond. It is packed with information about the wildlife, flora and fauna that call the Reserve home. There are stories from the site’s history as well as a host of fun facts designed to appeal to all ages.
On Friday 1 November you are invited to come along with your families from 1.15pm to 2pm and 2.30pm to 3.15pm when a special woodland celebrity visitor will be on site to meet you.
The Discovery Trail forms an initial part of a larger project – the Discovery Hub Project which is being partly funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development who support investment in public recreational infrastructure.
Horsham District Council and the Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve have also added funds to the project with grants of £90,000 and £10,000 respectively. The Discovery Hub and the creation of a Shelley themed garden at the entrance to the Reserve will be opened in 2020.
15/02/2019 – Pond Works
Pond life to be re-homed during re-development phase of the garden.
As part of the on-going ground preparation for the Discovery Hub Project, Horsham District Council’s countryside warden team will shortly start work on de-commissioning the current pond.
The work, which is due to be completed before the end of February, is being undertaken now to ensure the environmental impact is kept to a minimum and limit the amount of wildlife affected.
The pond will be emptied and the silt, freshwater invertebrates and the vegetative material will be moved to the nearby dipping ponds which in turn should improve their biodiversity.
The current pond was in desperate need of remedial work requiring a new liner and desilting and these issues will be addressed when it is reinstated in the autumn. In addition the pond will be extended, re-profiled and benefit from aquatic marginal planting which will help improve the overall habitat.
We appreciate that there will be a short term effect on the wildlife that uses the pond but we are taking the matter seriously and will take every measure to minimise the effect of this work wherever possible.
We intend to keep disruption to a minimum and would like to thank everyone for their understanding in advance.
11/02/2019 – Temporary Closure
Closure of Warnham Local Nature Reserve – 12th / 13th/ 14th Feb
Please be aware that due to the essential tree works taking place at Warnham Local Nature Reserve tomorrow, we are unfortunately going to have to close the whole reserve and not just the Turn Hide as previously stated.
Sadly we are unable to provide safe alternative access whilst the machinery and contractors are on-site.
We apologise for the short notice.
The reserve will be closed from the 12th-14th of February and will re-open on Friday 15th February.
04/02/2019 – Essential Tree Removal
Essential Tree Removal marks the start of Discovery Hub Project.
Following the recent announcement that plans for a new Discovery Hub project at Warnham Local Nature Reserve have been given the go-ahead, the first stage of preparation work is due to begin next month.
To facilitate the revised entrance garden, path area and improved views onto the Millpond it is necessary that a selected number of young trees and a mature willow tree will be removed, however members of the team would like to reassure visitors and friends that the mature cotoneaster tree will be retained.
The work will be overseen by Horsham District Council’s Trees and Contracts Officer, Mark Pullen working in conjunction with Countryside & Ecology Manager, Jacob Everitt.
It is expected this work should take up to two days to complete and will take place prior to the bird nesting season at the end of February. During this time the Tern Hide will be shut and revised entrance access arrangements will be in place. Contractors are currently scheduled to be on site on from 12th – 14th February (subject to weather conditions) however we would urge all visitors to check the website www.horsham.gov.uk/warnhamdiscoveryhub prior to travel if restricted access to the hide will affect your visit.
In September, the area will be re-landscaped as part of the Discovery Hub project with the establishment of a reedbed area, which will form a focal point to the hub and beyond.
We intend to keep disruption to a minimum and would like to thank everyone for their understanding in advance.
23/01/2019 – Funding Approval Gained
Horsham District Council is celebrating with the Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve, as plans for a new ‘Discovery Hub’ at Warnham Local Nature Reserve have been given the go-ahead.The Council have been awarded some £278,000 by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development who support investment in public recreational infrastructure. The Council and the Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve are adding additional funds to the project with grants of £90,000 and £10,000 respectively.
The current site on Warnham Road, Horsham was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1987 and has grown in popularity ever since. Already home to a small visitor’s centre and café, the addition of the ‘Discovery Hub’ will draw visitors from across the district and beyond.
Unique design and breath-taking views
The ‘Discovery Hub’, will boast a unique octagonal design created from wood and one-way glass. Large panoramic windows will offer breath-taking views across the millpond. The space will be used for both educational and leisure purposes and will tell the story of the industrial, natural and social heritage of this important nature and conservation reserve.
In addition, to the hub, a new hide will be constructed, replacing the existing Tern Hide, as well as a new discovery trail that will incorporate the whole reserve and a new entrance garden that will take inspiration from the works of noted local poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Encouraging visitors old and new
“We are delighted that the ‘Discovery Hub’ has been given the green light” explained Councillor Jonathan Chowen, Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Community and Culture. He continued:
“The team have worked closely with the Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve, the general public and the funding authority to make a robust case for this important addition to the Horsham District.“We want to encourage visitors old and new to come to the reserve and discover not only the wide variety of wildlife, flora and fauna that thrive in the wetlands, but also appreciate the important part that this land has played in shaping our district, from its historical links to the iron industry, to its modern day home for Herons and Kingfishers.
Our aim is to inspire the next generation to protect the reserve and appreciate the impacts modern life can have on our environment.”
The discovery trail is due to be completed by June 2019, with structural work on the hub scheduled to start towards the end of summer. Once underway, the project should take three months to complete with the reserve remaining open to the public for most of the time and disruption kept to a minimum.
The whole project is due to be completed and officially opened at the end of the year in celebration of the Horsham District Year of Culture 2019.