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Nunnery at Minster Abbey

2 ha

📷 Chris Whippet · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

WildlifeBirdsHeritage

Public accessFree entryDogs welcome2 ha

Getting here

51.42234, 0.81238

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome

Best for

6 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Black-headed Gull, Starling, Magpie +84 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Black-headed Gull, Starling, Magpie +84 more · last seen 2025

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site with public access

Free

Insect spotting

Strong match

Insects — Box Tree Moth, Lily Beetle, Humming-bird Hawk-moth +58 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Box Tree Moth, Lily Beetle, Humming-bird Hawk-moth +58 more · last seen 2025

Free

Dog walks

Good match

Dogs allowed with public access

Free

Seasonal nature

Good match

Plants — Spanish Bluebell, Hyacinthoides · last seen 2018; Plants — Spanish Bluebell, Hyacinthoides · last seen 2018

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

2 signed routes nearby · 5 public paths nearby

Signed route nearbyPublic paths

King Charles III England Coast Path: Iwade to GrainWalking route

Named routeRef ECPNational walking route

Saxon Shore WayWalking route262 km

Named routeLength 262 kmRegional walking route

🚴

Cycling

56 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

NCN National Route 174Cycling route

Named routeRef 174National Cycle Network

Main RouteCycling route4 m

Named routeRef 174Length 4 mNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route1.1 km

Named routeRef 174Length 1.1 kmNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route1.3 km

Named routeRef 174Length 1.3 kmNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route483 m

Named routeRef 174Length 483 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route36 m

Named routeRef 174Length 36 mNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

Wildlife to spot

5,345 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

5,345 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds53 species

winterspringautumn

2025

Black-headed Gull · Woodpigeon · House Sparrow · Turnstone · Oystercatcher +48

Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
House SparrowPasser domesticus
TurnstoneArenaria interpres
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
MagpiePica pica
BlackbirdTurdus merula
RobinErithacus rubecula
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
Herring GullLarus argentatus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Little EgretEgretta garzetta2024
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba2024
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula2024
RookCorvus frugilegus2023
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2023
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2022
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
Great TitParus major
Mute SwanCygnus olor2023
CurlewNumenius arquata2023
SwallowHirundo rustica2022
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2022
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
DunnockPrunella modularis
Common GullLarus canus2024
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis2023
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus2023
RedshankTringa totanus2023
Brent GooseBranta bernicla2023
Barn OwlTyto alba2022
LinnetLinaria cannabina
Anas platyrhynchos xAnas platyrhynchos x2023
TealAnas crecca2023
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2023
LapwingVanellus vanellus2023
MoorhenGallinula chloropus2023
Stock DoveColumba oenas2023
CootFulica atra2023
Haematopus ostralegus ostralegusHaematopus ostralegus ostralegus2023
SanderlingCalidris alba2022
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca2022
Canada GooseBranta canadensis2022
JackdawColoeus monedula2022
Rock PipitAnthus petrosus2022
StonechatSaxicola rubicola2022
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2021
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2021

🦌

Mammals5 species

summerwinter

2025

Hedgehog · Coypu · Common Pipistrelle · Long-eared Bat species · Rabbit

HedgehogErinaceus europaeus2022
CoypuMyocastor coypus
Common PipistrellePipistrellus pipistrellus2024
Long-eared Bat speciesPlecotus2024
RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus2023

🐝

Insects14 species

springsummerautumn

2025

Firebug · 7-spot Ladybird · Western Conifer Seed Bug · Speckled Bush-cricket · Sphaerophoria +9

FirebugPyrrhocoris apterus
7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
Western Conifer Seed BugLeptoglossus occidentalis2023
Speckled Bush-cricketLeptophyes punctatissima
SphaerophoriaSphaerophoria
Box BugGonocerus acuteangulatus2024
Violet Ground BeetleCarabus violaceus2024
Ivy BeeColletes hederae2024
Southern Oak Bush-cricketMeconema meridionale2024
Greater Bulb-FlyMerodon equestris2023
Green ShieldbugPalomena prasina2023
Microplontus campestrisMicroplontus campestris2023
Cramp-Ball Fungus WeevilPlatyrhinus resinosus2023
Common Red Soldier BeetleRhagonycha fulva2022

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

5,345 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds53 species

winterspringautumn

2025

Black-headed Gull · Woodpigeon · House Sparrow · Turnstone · Oystercatcher +48

Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
House SparrowPasser domesticus
TurnstoneArenaria interpres
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
MagpiePica pica
BlackbirdTurdus merula
RobinErithacus rubecula
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
Herring GullLarus argentatus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Little EgretEgretta garzetta2024
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba2024
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula2024
RookCorvus frugilegus2023
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2023
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2022
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
Great TitParus major
Mute SwanCygnus olor2023
CurlewNumenius arquata2023
SwallowHirundo rustica2022
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2022
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
DunnockPrunella modularis
Common GullLarus canus2024
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis2023
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus2023
RedshankTringa totanus2023
Brent GooseBranta bernicla2023
Barn OwlTyto alba2022
LinnetLinaria cannabina
Anas platyrhynchos xAnas platyrhynchos x2023
TealAnas crecca2023
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2023
LapwingVanellus vanellus2023
MoorhenGallinula chloropus2023
Stock DoveColumba oenas2023
CootFulica atra2023
Haematopus ostralegus ostralegusHaematopus ostralegus ostralegus2023
SanderlingCalidris alba2022
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca2022
Canada GooseBranta canadensis2022
JackdawColoeus monedula2022
Rock PipitAnthus petrosus2022
StonechatSaxicola rubicola2022
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2021
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2021

🦌

Mammals5 species

summerwinter

2025

Hedgehog · Coypu · Common Pipistrelle · Long-eared Bat species · Rabbit

HedgehogErinaceus europaeus2022
CoypuMyocastor coypus
Common PipistrellePipistrellus pipistrellus2024
Long-eared Bat speciesPlecotus2024
RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus2023

🐝

Insects14 species

springsummerautumn

2025

Firebug · 7-spot Ladybird · Western Conifer Seed Bug · Speckled Bush-cricket · Sphaerophoria +9

FirebugPyrrhocoris apterus
7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
Western Conifer Seed BugLeptoglossus occidentalis2023
Speckled Bush-cricketLeptophyes punctatissima
SphaerophoriaSphaerophoria
Box BugGonocerus acuteangulatus2024
Violet Ground BeetleCarabus violaceus2024
Ivy BeeColletes hederae2024
Southern Oak Bush-cricketMeconema meridionale2024
Greater Bulb-FlyMerodon equestris2023
Green ShieldbugPalomena prasina2023
Microplontus campestrisMicroplontus campestris2023
Cramp-Ball Fungus WeevilPlatyrhinus resinosus2023
Common Red Soldier BeetleRhagonycha fulva2022

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Chris Whippet · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Minster Abbey

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🌱Barton's Point Coastal ParkUrban park2.3 km→🏞️BARTON'S POINTCountry park2.4 km→🌱Holy Trinity ChurchUrban park3.9 km→🌱Festival Playing FieldUrban park4.3 km→🌱The GlenUrban park700 m→🌱Barton's PointUrban park2.3 km→

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