How to visit Shapwick Heath in Somerset
Shapwick Heath Nature Reserve is best known alongside its neighbour, Ham Wall as the place to go to in the winter months to watch the Avalon Marshes’ starling murmurations. However, away from this winter madness when the car parks are full and everyone is glad sunset is early, Shapwick Heath is a place of calm tranquillity.
Shapwick Heath and Shapwick Moor Nature Reserve, its newer neighbour are part of the Avalon Marshes and are a small corner of the Somerset Levels and Moors. Within sight of Glastonbury Tor, this nature reserve is perfect for both nature hunters and cyclists as well as walkers and families.

It is an easy escape from the bustle of both Glastonbury and Wells and makes the perfect extension to a road trip around the Mendip Hills.
Initially, this seems like ‘just another nature reserve’, but it has a special history in the local area and some really unique wild visitors.
The Landscape at Shapwick Moor and Shapwick Heath
Peat Moors
This whole area is steeped in history although the peat industry in the 1960s changed the landscape dramatically to what is seen today. Peat is the partially decayed remains of organic matter such as reeds, sedges, mosses and even trees. It forms in wet environments where acidity and low levels of oxygen halts decay. This process started around 5000 BC and continued until 400AD.
The peat formed in this part of Somerset was dug commercially and used by gardeners as well as the dried peat was used for burning as fuel. The characteristics and use vary depending on when it was formed and the vegetable content.
The peat was dug by hand initially but as with any industry as time moved forward more commercial digging became normal. By the 1960s large diggers were used to extract the peat and over the next 30 years, extraction rose from 65000 tonnes to over 250000 tonnes. This level of extraction was not sustainable and had a massive impact on the environment and the climate.

The deep scars on the landscape caused by the removal of the peat have filled it with water, turning it into a beautiful natural habitat. This transformation is an ongoing process with collaboration between the peat companies and English Nature.
With changes brought in by the British government in May 2021, by 2030 peat will be banned for use changing the way of life for many family-owned peat companies and the local economy.
The old peat works are most noticeable as you explore the area around Shapwick Heath. The lakes which are long and straight were once peat bogs and their distinct man-made patterns can be clearly seen on maps. The mounds of peat can still be seen but these are slowly diminishing as the industry is wound down.
Trackways and Swamps
Wandering through the marshy woodland it is easy to imagine the area as it would have been 6000 years ago. Neolithic people lived on the dry ground that is now Shapwick Heath. These ancient residents built unique wooden trackways across the reeds and swamps which are still in existence today and preserved in the wet peat.


You can still follow the route of the Sweet Track, the most important of the trackways along a replica pathway through the reeds and woodland. This track joined the nearby village of Westhay, which at the time was an island to the nearby Polden Ridge.
Dendrochronology dates the wood used in the track to 3806 BC, the very start of settlement and farming. This track was built on an earlier track, the Post Track which has been dated to 3838 BC.
Iron Age Villages and Glastonbury Abbey
During the Iron Age, the area became much wetter and the trackways were replaced by canoes which have been found as well as an indication that an Iron Age village existed as an island within the marshes.
The whole area is entwined with Glastonbury Abbey and the moors and heath were a valuable source of eels, birds and grazing for cattle from as early as 630AD. Alder and oak from the small woodlands were used for building and the reeds were harvested for thatching.

The landscape was shaped by the monks from the Abbey and played an important role in the life of the Abbey. Local rivers were diverted and areas of marshland were drained to provide valuable grazing land changing the landscape forever.
The nearby Meare Fish House was built in the 1330s to house the officials looking after the fisheries set up by the Abbey. In this small building, the fish caught in the surrounding lakes (or mere’s) were dried and salted although it was primarily built and used as a residence for the officials.
Avalon Marshes Walks
The walks around the Avalon Marshes which include Shapwick Heath and Shapwick Moor are all clearly marked and flat. The wildlife and walks are probably the two main reasons for visiting this area and no two visits will ever be the same.

Starting at the parking area the wide path follows the South Drain all the way to the entrance to Ham Wall Nature Reserve. This is part of the Bittern Trail, a cycle route from Glastonbury and is easy for walking.
The South Drain is a straight waterway that is home to swans, herons and egrets. In the summer months, the banks are coated in white cow parsley that tumbles down to the edge of the water and merges with the yellow water lilies that can be found in the shallower areas. The water lilies can be seen across all the lakes and provide a splash of colour against the brown of the reed beds.

Along this path, there are clearly marked paths into the woodland which are rougher but still easy to walk. These follow the Sweet Track and then head towards the numerous hides that are hidden in the reed beds along the edges of the lakes. They can be marshy even in summer and if you look out for them, frogs and dragonflies can be seen.


Small streams run through the woodland flanked with bright yellow iris and deep green ferns before the beautiful wide-open meadows with orchids, clover and butterflies are reached. This open space is alive and just sitting and watching for a while will allow you to be immersed in nature.




Along the main path is a stunning new hide which overlooks Noah’s Lake while Decoy Hide and a number of others are hidden deep in the reed beds giving a chance to see the more hidden wildlife such as bitterns, marsh harriers, otters and kingfishers.
An Avalon Marshes Map and a map of the Somerset Levels and the walks in the area can be found here.
what to Look Out for at shapwick heath
Shapwick Heath is full of wildlife. Even a slow wander around will allow you to see a vast array of birds and insects. Great crested grebes can be seen performing their unique courtship display in early spring and bitterns can be heard booming across the reed beds. On the fringes of the reed beds, small warblers and tits can be seen as they search for insects and nesting materials.


Otters can appear from time to time, slowly making their way across the lakes, skimming the edges of the reed beds as more common waterbirds potter around throughout the day. Great white egrets are also increasing in numbers and are elegant birds to watch as they fish along the edges of the reeds.
Kingfishers can be seen darting along the edge of the drains and Meare Heath hide has a kingfisher bank where they can sometimes be seen although they can pop up almost anywhere on the nature reserve.


The Best time to visit Shapwick Heath
In early summer Shapwick Heath is alive with courtship displays and young birds with things calming down by late June. During the summer months, the area is quiet although arriving at sunrise and sunset allows you to see the numerous dragonfly roosts along the edges of the reed beds.


At the beginning and end of the day, you also stand a higher chance of seeing the resident owls hunting along the edges of the fields and the wildlife that has moved back into the shadows during the day starts to emerge as the number of visitors decreases.

During the winter months, Shapwick Heath along with Ham Wall is all about the starling murmurations. This is an annual event when huge numbers of starlings roost in the reed beds each night. They arrive in November and will start to head off for the summer in February. Their roost changes each night but the Avalon Marshes Starling Hotline has an automated message with their roost location.
SOMERSET WETLANDS NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE
Steart Marshes and Bridgwater Bay form the coastal boundary of the Somerset Wetlands National Nature Reserve which includes the following nature reserves across the Somerset Levels between Bridgwater, Taunton, the Mendip Hills and the Blackdown Hills.
- Ham Wall
- Huntspill River
- Steart Marshes and Bridgwater Bay
- Somerset Levels
- Westhay Moor
How to Get To Avalon Marshes Parking and Cafe
Shapwick Heath and Moor (Google map) are located about 6 miles from Glastonbury and 10 miles from junction 23 of the M5 at Bridgwater. The roads are narrow in places and you will encounter tractors and slow-moving vehicles so expect the journey to take about 20 minutes from Glastonbury and 40 minutes to the motorway.
You will pick up signs on the ring road in Glastonbury and then a second sign will show the turning in the small hamlet of Westhay. The final road to the Avalon Marshes Hub is lumpy and bumpy so take your time and save your car some avoidable damage!
The largest parking area is at the Avalon Marshes Hub. This is paid parking but is only £3 for the whole day (or £1.50 for an hour) making it worthwhile. You may be tempted by the small roadside parking area that is close to the entrance to the nature reserve, but this can get busy. It is far easier to park in the official parking with the facilities including toilets and walk the short distance along the road to the entrance of the nature reserve.
Here you will find a lovely little cafe which sells food and drinks throughout the day, as well as a lovely local craft centre, called Somerset Crafts and an information centre.
The Avalon Marshes tea room known as the Avalon Marshes Hub Tea Stop has lots of gorgeous cakes to choose from, which is always a welcome treat at the end of a long walk. They also do great food, but it is all about the cake in my world!
If you want to visit Ham Wall (Google map) as well as Shapwick Heath then parking at Ham Wall car park will allow you to explore both reserves without having to move your car or walk a long distance. This is paid parking as well and has a small visitors centre.
- Avalon Marshes Centre, Shapwick Road, Westhay, Glastonbury BA6 9TT
- View on Google Maps
- Check events and opening times