To help you prepare and get excited about your upcoming stay, we've gathered some helpful information for you.

We look forward to having you stay with us and we welcome you to arrive early and enjoy the Reserve footpaths. Please do let us know if you have any questions, we look forward to meeting you soon.

Enjoy slow mornings with breakfast delivered to your door, a picnic lunch while wildlife-watching, and come the evening enjoy a Cheese & Charcuterie Sharing Board or a deliciously warming Supper Hamper in the comfort of your accommodation.

Breakfast doesn't need to be pre-ordered, but Picnic Lunches, Cheese & Charcuterie Boards, and Supper Hampers do - please submit your pre-orders through the links above and below, we are a small kitchen who aim to operate with minimal waste, due to this we kindly ask for at least 24 hours' notice for pre-orders.

Weekend Evening Dining - please use this link to pre-order

Friday Evening and Late night Sunday Arrivals - Cheese or/and Charcuterie board

Saturday & Sunday Evening - Two-course Supper Hamper

Your order will be delivered anytime between 6pm & 7pm in an insulated hamper for you to serve and enjoy in your accommodation

By Train:

Direct service from London St Pancras or Stratford Intl to Sittingbourne. We can arrange taxi transport from Sittingbourne Train station to Elmley.
There is a two-mile entry track through the Reserve to reach Kingshill Farm, so enjoy the drive and soak in the nature views!

By Car:

From Junction 5 on the M2, follow the A249 towards Sheerness
Take the exit for Iwade and Ridham Dock, immediately before the main Sheppey bridge
At the roundabout, take the second exit onto the old road bridge
On the Isle of Sheppey, after a minute or two, take the first right, following the brown Elmley Reserve sign
Take the second left, next to the large sign reading "Welcome to Elmley". Buzz the intercom if the gate is closed
There is a two-mile entry track through the Reserve to reach Kingshill Farm, so enjoy the drive and soak in the nature views!

Sat-nav note: If you are using sat-nav our postcode is ME12 3RW; Google Maps will take you straight to us, though please note that some sat-navs go a little awry! Please ensure you go over the lower bridge and note that the road to us looks very remote - your sat-nav may recognise it as a footpath instead.

If you have any questions about your accommodation, you might find our Information Packs useful. Click here for detailed information or ask a member of our friendly team who will be more than happy to help.

Winter is setting into the reserve now, giving us crystals of morning frost, beautifully clear skies, and pastel sunsets; setting the scene perfectly for an evening cosied around the firepit toasting marshmallows and cradling warm mugs of hot chocolate (or treat yourself to a glass of something stronger!). The weekend ahead is looking a little wet and drizzly with some sun peaking through the cloud on Saturday morning. A perfect opportunity for a relaxing weekend wildlife-watching from bed, and a morning walk on Saturday. You can view the local weather here. Why not pre-order a picnic lunch to enjoy in one of our sheltered bird hides and spend a while wildlife-spotting. Be sure to bring wellies and waterproofs!

We would suggest wrapping up in layers during the day, especially if you're going to be exploring the Reserve, as there is little shelter from the wind while out for a walk and it can whip up across the flat reserve! Be sure to bring waterproofs and suitable walking boots, just in case... or you can just relax in your accommodation with a cup of tea and watch the beautiful wildlife from your window or from your outdoor seating.

Wild Swimming;

Cockleshell beach is now closed, as we hand it back over to the wading birds after a glorious summer! Don't worry, you can still enjoy a wild swim in our fresh water dipping pond, this can be found as you head out onto the main reserve footpath from the far-end of the carpark.

Walks and safari drive;

Our entrance track is a winding 2 miles with some of our most sensitive and active breeding grounds teeming with wildlife as well as roaming livestock. We encourage you to enjoy this at any point of your stay by using your vehicle as a moving bird hide. We politely ask you to remain within our 15mph speed limit as well as stay inside your car and not use the road as a footpath. There is no time limit here so please pull to one side.

We encourage you to enjoy the reserve and switch off during your time with us. Why not pack a flask of something hot and enjoy our marked footpaths for miles of wild landscape. Venture as far as you feel, use one of our bird hides as a check-point to sit and take nature in. You will be given a map of the reserve and we please ask you to stick to the marked footpaths to avoid disturbance to any wildlife.

The Linhay;

This is our communal area available to all guests to enjoy during their stay. Please help yourself to a drink from our honesty bar or a complimentary tea or coffee, then cosy up with a board game in front of the wood-burner, or browse our bird books. Drinks from our honesty bar will be added to a tab and settled upon check out.

Tours & Treatments;

If you haven't already, check out our range of tours and treatments to indulge and relax at Elmley. We do recommend booking in advance to avoid any disappointment. Further information and links to book are below.

This weeks sightings from the reserve are listed below so you can get a flavour of what to expect on the reserve. Binoculars are available throughout your stay if you'd like to hire a pair from us.

The local area;

If you do want to venture away from our peaceful surroundings there are some wonderful places to visit such as Faversham, a local and historic market town. Alternatively Whitstable is a picturesque seaside town with an abundance of independent shops and seafood to sample.

Elmley National Nature Reserve covers 3,300 acres brimming with wildlife. Make the most of your time here with an immersive, expert led tour. Each tour is tailored to recent sightings and will access unique areas of the reserve off of the marked footpaths.

We have plenty of availability on our upcoming tours, elevate your Elmley experience and learn something new about the vast array of species that call us home - Please contact our team to check availability or you can book online.

Should you wish to arrange a private tour please contact Simon (simon@elmleynaturereserve.co.uk) or our team directly to find out about availability and booking.

During your stay you can unwind and indulge in a range of rejuvenating treatments complimented with VERDEN and VOTARY products. From healing massages to nourishing facials, our treatments are rooted in natural fragrance to reconnect you with happiness in every moment of self-care.

You can book here with our experienced Holistic therapists - Victoria and Sarah.

Highlights this week:

STARLINGS

One of the highlights on our Dusk Wildlife Safaris recently has been 2,000-5,000 Starlings roosting in the Brickfields reedbed. For some strange reason, the Marsh Harriers appear to have abandoned their roost over the last week, and this has allowed the Starlings to return.

DARTFORD WARBLER

The Dartford Warbler is a scarce health land specialist breeding bird, and can randomly turn up in unexpected places during the winter if it has been a good breeding year of them. This one can be found if people are willing to wait patiently at the Brickfields, looking at the bramble bushes.

BARN OWLS

The colder conditions mean that food is hard to find, if you're a small mammal hunter, and so this results in Owls occasionally hunting during the day at this time of year.

Other special birds...

Fieldfare – we have around 100 on the Reserve, feasting on the berries amongst the saplings.
Hen Harrier - one has been seen most days this week, down around the hides. They can pop up anywhere and are always on the move, flying quite low to the ground.
Wigeon - there are around 6,000 Wigeon that roost on our northern boundary and fly south over the Reserve at some time between 8am and 9am. This happens every day, and is usually in front of the accommodation, and occasionally directly overhead. It's an amazing spectacle!

Our wildlife tours are a lovely way to experience the Reserve during your stay - why not join one of our tours with our lead guides!