Welcome to Hambrook Marshes: a unique wildlife haven in the city of Canterbury
Visiting hambrook marshes
Hambrook Marshes is close to Canterbury city centre, easy to get to, and open at all times.
Full information for visitors, including where we are, travel options, facilities and accessibility.
about hambrook

Did you know that the land by the River Stour that is now Hambrook Marshes was once a 40 feet deep quarry?
Find out more about the history, and the plants, birds and wildlife that now thrive here.
get involved
If you love Hambrook Marshes there are plenty of ways to help out and keep in touch with what’s happening.
Discover more ways to get involved and stay up to date
WILDLIFE TO LOOK OUT FOR IN JANUARY
Snipe Little grebe Cormorant Little egret Lapwing Otter
latest news
- DECEMBER WILDLIFE NOTESParts of the Marshes were flooded for much of the month, due to frequent and heavy rain, encouraging gulls to congregate in the fields at times; a group of about 145 black-headed gulls was seen. The river mostly stayed within…
- NOVEMBER WILDLIFE NOTESUndoubtedly the highlight of the month was a pair of stonechats in Tonford field on the 22nd. This delightful little bird (right) used to be a semi-regular winter visitor, but the areas it favoured depended on what management was being…
- HI-TECH RUBBISHIf you notice that the bin by the Wincheap footbridge urgently needs emptying, there’s a new way to report it to the council. The bin now has a QR code that you can scan with your smartphone, which will take…
- NEW FENCEPOSTSA new set of fenceposts has been installed around Tonford field. The old posts were only five years old but a large number were rotting at the base and starting to collapse. The original barbed wire and netting is still…
- NEW EYESOREHave you ever wondered what the big, black, metal pipe across the river is for? It was installed in the 19th century as part of a Victorian water supply system. A pumping station in Wincheap (since demolished to make way…
- EMBANKMENT STEPS CLEAREDVegetation has been cleared from both flights of steps up to the viewpoint to make them safer. Encroaching bramble, nettles and scrub are regularly cut back on each side of the steps through the summer, but once a year it…
- HELP HAMBROOK MARSHES WHEN YOU SHOP AT THE CO-OPLove Hambrook Marshes has been selected as a local cause for the Co-op’s Local Community Fund. If you are a Co-op member, please select LHM as your local cause for the next twelve months, so that every time you shop…