A change to Potteric Carr’s opening hours

Our Nature Discovery Centres welcome tens of thousands of visitors each year, as each season offers something special; birds on their incredible migratory journeys, wildflowers bloom in magnificent colours, weird and wonderful autumn fungi emerge and waders settle in for the coldest of months,

Our Visitor Services teams at Potteric Carr nature reserve and Spurn National Nature Reserve, work tirelessly to open the doors to our Nature Discovery Centres and create a warm welcome every day.

Before we greet our visitors each morning, the Centres are a hive of activity: scones are freshly baked, food is lovingly prepped, health and safety checks are carefully ticked off, cleaning is diligently undertaken and the teams are fully briefed on the latest wildlife happenings or planned activities on the reserve.

It's crucial that we have the time to carry out all these essential tasks safely and securely. Amongst all the planning and coordination, the team are also ready to embrace whatever the day ahead brings.

Therefore, from the week commencing 29 July 2024, Potteric Carr Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre will close every Monday, and open Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 9.30am - 4pm.

A little egret wading through a lake — Little egret at Potteric Carr - (C) John Potter

Why are we changing the opening hours now?

Running a seven-day visitor service is challenging and demanding. The change in the opening times will give the team the opportunity to breathe, review and plan, while also having the practical time to undertake large tasks without disruption to visitors, such as deep cleaning or interior layout changes.

Going into the busy summer holidays, it's even more important that we provide a consistent and safe service, ensuring our staff can take their holidays; we care for their wellbeing too.

The reserve's Operations Team undertake regular habitat management, species surveys, infrastructure maintenance and other site-based tasks, and will also benefit from a weekly closure of the reserve.

Crucially, a consistently high-quality and enjoyable visitor experience will improve the resilience of the Nature Discovery Centres to generate vital income to conserve Yorkshire’s wildlife.

Purple wildflowers — Wildflowers at Potteric Carr - (C) John Potter

What is on offer this summer?

As summer reaches its peak, and families enjoy adventures in the outdoors together, the months ahead will be our busiest of the year. Our freezers are fully stocked with ice cream, we're finessing a new i-spy activity for young nature explorers and changing our opening times at Potteric Carr to enable us to provide a consistently high visitor experience each day.

We are grateful for the continued support of members and loyal visitors to both Potteric Carr and Spurn Nature Discovery Centres who have been very patient over the last few months as opening times and menu choices have changed at short notice in response to fluctuating staffing levels.

Every single visit to our Nature Discovery Centres is important and appreciated. We look forward to welcoming you soon and enjoying the summer together. As nature buzzes and blooms, the Visitor Services Team will bake, clean, serve and host. Whatever the season, there's always a hive of activity inside the Centres and out on the reserves!