Disabled Access
The Nature Reserve and birdwatching hides are open at all times along a network of footpaths. Entry is free.
There is a free car park at Rye Harbour and toilets 80 metres away, with adapted facilities for disabled visitors. A RADAR key is needed for access and is available from your local council.
Information Centres
In the car park there is an unmanned kiosk with information displayed in the windows.
At Lime Kiln Cottage, some 450 metres from the car park, there is an Information Centre that is opened by volunteers 10am – 5pm (10am – 4pm October to March) and provides free guides and some sales items and an “Information Touch Screen”. It is accessible to most wheelchairs and has an induction loop system.
Birdwatching Hides
- Colin Green Hide – accessible to some wheelchairs (not large ones).
- Guy Crittall Hide – fully accessible; with induction loop system.
- Ray Parkes Hide – accessible to electric wheelchairs and scooters; path not yet easy for manual wheelchairs.
- Castle Water Hide – accessible to electric wheelchairs and scooters; path not easy for manual wheelchairs.
Description
From the car park a private tarmac road leads down to the River Mouth for some 1200 metres. Along this route there are regular (approx. 100m.) refuges with seating for you to stop and rest.
The Information Centre is 450m. from the car park, then the Colin Green Hide is another 250m. and the Guy Crittall Hide and Ray Parkes Hide are a further 1500m. These hides give excellent close views of breeding seabirds, ducks and waders and much, much more.
WARNING – the private road is used by some vehicles, especially mid-week during the winter, so please use the refuges along the road to give them plenty of room to pass. Also, be aware of some cracks in the road that can be quite rough for wheelchairs with small front wheels.
There is also a very challenging circular route of another part of the reserve that is possible to take some wheelchairs i.e. it is not a hard surface. A Camber Castle walk leaflet is available for download
Wheelchairs
The Beach Reserve is particularly suitable for wheelchairs and we do have manual and electric ones for hire. Click here for details.
Accommodation
We know how difficult it can be to find suitable accommodation, so we have drawn up a list of 9 places that may be suitable for your needs. Download the list here and then find out more about each place here.
Other Developments
Plans are in progress to improve the road surface, provide more refuges for resting along the paths, tactile signs in the hides and an audio guide. Please let us know if you can suggest any improvement that would improve access to the reserve... You can click here to let us know.