RSPB Broadwater Warren
Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent/Sussex border
Photo of Royal Tunbridge Wells: Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0Photo of Royal Tunbridge Wells: Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0
Broadwater Warren is an RSPB nature reserve on the southern edge of Tunbridge Wells where conifer plantations are being turned back into heathland and native woodland. Woodlarks and nightjars have returned, adders and dragonflies are easy to spot in summer, and new open views make good picnic spots.
Highlights
- Heathland restoration that has brought back woodlarks and nightjars
- Decoy pond visited by dragonflies, kingfishers and herons
- White Nature trail of 1.5 miles, about 40 minutes
- Green heathland and woodland trail of 3 miles, about 2 hours, with a heathland viewpoint
Good to know
- Dogs are welcome on the paths but must stay on a short lead because of livestock and wildlife
- Barbecues are not allowed at any time
- The nearest toilets are at the Birchden Farm café or in Tunbridge Wells
- The reserve is just over the border in East Sussex
Getting there
RSPB Broadwater Warren, Broadwater Forest Lane, near Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9JPParking: 30-space car park on Broadwater Forest Lane, a rural road with no pavements. Height barrier of 1.95m.
Get directionsChecked on 30 October 2026 against rspb.org.uk, visittunbridgewells.com. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
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More things to do in Tunbridge Wells
Nearby
Photo of Royal Tunbridge Wells: Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0Hargate Forest
Hargate Forest is a 62-hectare Woodland Trust wood on the southern edge of Tunbridge Wells, once part of the medieval Waterdown Forest. Since 1996 the Trust has been thinning conifer plantations and bringing back native trees and heathland, and the wide rides give long views over the High Weald.
Photo of Royal Tunbridge Wells: Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0High Rocks
High Rocks is a woodland of towering sandstone cliffs just west of Tunbridge Wells, linked by eleven bridges that let you walk between and over the outcrops. Once a Stone Age camp and now a protected monument, the rocks sit beside a pub and restaurant of the same name and have appeared in film and television productions.
Friezland Wood
Friezland Wood is a small Woodland Trust wood near High Rocks on the west side of Tunbridge Wells, with a stream, spring flowers and unusual sandstone outcrops on its western edge. Near its south-west boundary are the remains of an Iron Age hill fort.