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Waters' Edge Country Park & Visitor Centre

featured image from the article: Waters’ Edge Country Park & Visitor Centre

Waters Edge Geese Humber Bridge at sunset

Waters’ Edge Country Park and Visitor Centre is a free family day out packed with wildlife & nature. Explore 110 acres of our accessible nature reserve, discover how green you are with our interactive educational displays or just chill out by the ponds and feed the ducks. Little ones can burn off energy in one of two outdoor park areas or take part in affordable craft sessions. We have plenty of family friendly events throughout the year to keep all age groups happy. This includes wildlife day, craft fairs, pop up shop and classic car shows.

In the Visitor Centre you will find the gift shop & art gallery which showcases talented local artisans, or you can spot wildlife on our surveillance footage from around the park.

Enjoy quality coffee, cakes and homemade food in the Humber Hideaway Cafe located within the centre, whilst taking in the spectacular views over the main pond. Facebook: Humber Hideaway

Please note – only guide dogs are allowed in the centre.

Follow Waters’ Edge on Facebook and find out what’s on in the centre and country park. Please check opening times on Facebook before you visit, as the centre closes at different times throughout the seasons and on Bank Holidays.

  • Mini Mallards toddler group meets throughout term time, £3 per child
  • Wildlife Day, 27th July – free entry
  • Classic car Show, 24th August – free entry
  • Heritage Open Days 12 – 21st September – free entry
  • Plus many more activities and workshops throughout the year.. (see below)
  • Find out more about upcoming events and activities in 2025Events PDF 2025

The visitor centre is also the local Tourist Information point,
please visit the reception desk for help, or call/email any enquires.

Helping plan your visit to and around North Lincolnshire, with many years of collective knowledge, our Tourism Officers are only too happy to help. You can also find local leaflets, attraction leaflets, event guides, maps, history books, walking and cycling route booklets in the main reception.

Watch the beautiful Wildlife in North Lincolnshire at the Waters Edge Country Park and at the touch of a button.

Cameras that have been installed in the bird boxes which are linked to monitors inside the viewing area and on the YouTube channel so that you can see the birds and wildlife up close.

Head to the YouTube channel to take a look: https://www.youtube.com/@wedgewildlife

Waters' Edge Visitor centre seen from the Humber BridgeHumber hideaway logoPhoto of Waters' Edge Visitor Centre in front of the Humber Bridge

Waters’ Edge have received their accreditation to ‘Become Cycle Friendly’! You can now take a cycle friendly trip to this attraction. Cycling – Visit North Lincolnshire

cycle lincolnshire logo
Opening Times: Open 7 days a week:
Monday to Friday: 9am – 4.30pm April – Sept
Monday to Friday: 9am – 4pm October – March
Weekends & Bank Holidays: 10am – 4pm

Please check our seasonal opening times before making your journey.

Spider T Humber Super Sloop and HMS Pickle

featured image from the article: Waters’ Edge Country Park & Visitor Centre

Part of the upcoming project HMS (Historic, Motor and Sail) these historic vessels are living museums and offer visitors a rare and memorable experience. Catering for corporate parties and with many other visiting opportunities available this is a must for every North Lincolnshire visitor. The upcoming HMS project is in development, with these two national treasures as their flagships. Keep up to date with this exciting new project by following their facebook page The Chronicles of H.M. Schooner Pickle.

For opening times, bookings and other visiting opportunities please call Mal Nicholson on the contact details below

Normanby Hall Country Park Victorian Walled Garden

featured image from the article: Spider T Humber Super Sloop and HMS Pickle

The Victorian Walled Garden is a treat for any garden lover. Originally built in 1817 and restored in 1997, the garden is a nostalgic journey to the heyday of Victorian gardening. The kitchen garden contains a wealth of 19th century fruit and vegetable varieties, many of which are available to buy at harvesting time. Colourful herbaceous borders in the Sunken Garden and naturalised springtime bulbs and rhododendrons in the parkland complete the seasonal interest.

Elsham Hall Gardens & Country Park

featured image from the article: Normanby Hall Country Park Victorian Walled Garden

The park is a perfect place for a family day out. Set in the beautiful lakeside gardens of Elsham Hall, the park offers carp lakes where you can feed the fish, an adventure playground, secret garden, art gallery and the Secret Garden Tea Room . Within contemporary gardens there are aviaries, animal paddocks, a sensory garden and a guinea pig village.

The Secret Garden Tea Room – Serving fresh, handmade sandwiches, cakes and light meals alongside freshly ground coffee. 01652 682763 / The Secret Garden Tea Room Facebook

secret garden tea room coffee cup

Reduced rates of admission during out of season. Always check social media for live updates on opening/closing. 

elsham hall gardens

 

Trent Valley Gliding Club

featured image from the article: Elsham Hall Gardens & Country Park

Based at Kirton-in-Lindsey we offer trial flights and gift vouchers as the perfect way to get into gliding: they allow you to experience your first flight and also include a month’s membership so you can come back and have another go!

You’re guaranteed a warm welcome when you come to visit, so why not come and give gliding a go? We also arrange group flying events, so why not bring your work colleagues, club/organisation friends for a trial flight?

Opening weekends and Wednesdays.

The Pods

featured image from the article: Trent Valley Gliding Club

Come and spend a relaxing day at the Pods where you can try out the 25m pool or help little ones learn to swim in the teaching pool. Relax and enjoy a coffee and a snack in the café. The 85 station gym and choice of more 50 classes per week are perfect for those who want to work up a sweat. Situated next to Central Park in Scunthorpe, The Pods is the largest sports and fitness facility in North Lincolnshire.
NL Active The Pods Facebook

The Hub Café is open:
Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri  9:00 – 2:15
Wednesday           9:00  – 3:15
Saturday             08:30 – 2:15
Sunday               09:30 – 2:15
The Hub serves snacks, sandwiches and paninis, salads, fruit granola pots, jacket potatoes, and cakes. It also serves Lavazza coffee, speciality teas, hot chocolate and soft drinks.

Our further NL Active centres include:  Leisure, sport and physical activity – North Lincolnshire Council (northlincs.gov.uk)

 

Church Farm Trails and Fenestra Conference Centre

featured image from the article: The Pods

Situated just to the north of Scunthorpe, the farm is part of the ‘Higher Level Environment Scheme’. It offers ‘open access’ to walkers on the hillside grassland, along with access routes around arable fields. It provides good views of the Trent Valley and hosts a variety of measures to encourage a diverse flora and fauna. Pre-booked group and school visits are also available; for these, refreshments can be provided, along with the use of the full range of facilities at the ‘Fenestra Conference Centre’, which is also to be found on the farm. The centre is suitable for a wide range of uses and activities.

Alkborough Flats

featured image from the article: Church Farm Trails and Fenestra Conference Centre

In a superb natural setting, where the rivers Trent and Ouse join to form the Humber, Alkborough Flats is an exciting project, which helps prevent thousands of homes from flooding. The site is perfect for lovers of wildlife. By breaching the river defences new habitats have been created which are a haven for wading birds and wildfowl, making the site an ideal area for bird watching and leisurely walks. Limited accessibility on some footpaths.

Thousands of wintering waterbirds can be seen at Alkborough Flats and include significant numbers of golden plover, lapwing, ruff, black-tailed godwit, curlew, redshank, avocet, shelduck, teal, wigeon. Other frequent sightings include marsh harrier, little egret, spoonbill, bearded tit. Mammals include otter, water vole, brown hare and several species of bat.

Images: Black tailed godwit, Alkborough Flats and little egret.

Why not join us on the new Lincolnshire Bird Trail to find the best places go and all the inside information to get the best out of a visit at any time of year.
Check out the new trail Alkborough Flats Birding Trail – Visit Lincolnshire for more.

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Far Ings National Nature Reserve

featured image from the article: Alkborough Flats

Discover the wildlife of the South Humber Bank at the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust’s Far Ings National Nature Reserve. The freshwater clay pits, reedbeds, meadows and hawthorn scrub are rich in flora and fauna. The range of birds includes reedbed specialists and rarities. Excellent birdwatching facilities, events and educational opportunities are available here. This visitor centre is also full of stunning views across the estuary and pits.

Far Ings centre building

Pink Pig Farm and Play Barn

featured image from the article: Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Far Ings National Nature Reserve

Come rain or sun there is plenty of fun at Pink Pig Farm. Meet the animals, take a tractor & trailer ride and enjoy lots of farm themed fun and adventure. New indoor play barn means the fun carries on all year round plus more new outdoor play areas to visit. Piggylicious food available at the Greedy Pig Café.