welcome

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Welcome to Hambrook Marshes: a unique wildlife haven in the city of Canterbury

The beautiful landscape of Canterbury’s biggest green open space is a natural wildlife haven, home to thriving bird life and a wealth of plants and wildflower species. Open all year round, its tranquil riverside paths and wetlands are the perfect way to enjoy nature in the city.  

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

Volunteers at work

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 grebes
    Little grebe
  • Cormorant
  • Little egret
    Little egret
  • Lapwing
  • Otter

latest news

  • DECEMBER WILDLIFE NOTES
    Parts 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 NOTES
    Undoubtedly 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 RUBBISH
    If 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 FENCEPOSTS
    A 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 EYESORE
    Have 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 CLEARED
    Vegetation 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-OP
    Love 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…