Our centre is now open - please be aware when planning your visit that part of our site remains closed for now. There will be no otter or flamingo talks and we are currently unable to allow any feeding of our birds - read more and plan your visit here.

Visiting us

We want to ensure your day is safe and comfortable
and so we have safety measures still in place

Visit essentials

We know some things can make or break a visit so below are the things you've told us are most important to know before booking.

Booking your visit - there is no need to book your visit in advance. However, if you are not already a WWT member and would like to, you can still book your tickets in advance.
Masks - masks or face coverings are again mandatory in certain areas inside. Our staff and volunteers continue to wear face coverings in all areas inside and we ask everyone to respect each other's space and to keep their distance.
Cleaning - we’ve increased our cleaning regime, particularly our toilets. And we have plenty of hand sanitiser available around the site
Food, drink and shopping - cafe open 10am - 4pm daily. Some seating indoors, plus outdoor seating on veranda and picnic benches throughout grounds
Hand feeding (the birds) - we are following government requirements to minimise the number of wild birds in close contact with our collection birds to prevent the spread of avian influenza in the winter months. We’re very sorry this means you can’t feed the birds right now.
Wheelchair hire - available

Avian influenza

Avian influenza, often known as bird flu, is commonly carried by wild birds migrating to the UK during the winter months. Cases of avian influenza are widespread in Great Britain and we have sadly had a confirmed case in our collection birds at Washington Wetland Centre.

To protect the birds in our care and those seeking winter refuge on our reserve, and due to requirements from the UK government, we are currently closed. We will be opening early in the new year.

We do apologise for the disappointment we know this closure will cause. Thank you for your understanding.

The UK Health Security Agency advises that the risk to public health from the virus is very low and the strain in the UK has never been caught by humans.

If you find a sick or dead bird, please do not touch it or pick it up. Please call the Defra helpline: 03459 335577.

If you keep poultry (including game birds or as pets), you should follow the government’s biosecurity best practice advice.

You can find more information here.

FAQs

We hope you've found all the information you need visiting but just in case, we've listed some common questions and answers below.

: We want to ensure your day is safe and comfortable and so we have safety measures still in place. Masks or face coverings are again mandatory in certain areas inside. Our staff and volunteers continue to wear face coverings in all areas inside and we ask everyone to do the same if they can, and ask everyone to respect each other's space. We continue with our enhanced cleaning regime and provide hand sanitiser wherever it may be needed. By working together and being considerate of others, we can keep everyone safe.
: We know some people like to plan ahead. While there is not requirement to book your visit with us, you still have that option available.
: If you have any special vouchers, including member discount vouchers or Blue Peter badges, please buy your tickets at our site on the day of your visit. They cannot be used to book in advance..
: We are more than happy to move future bookings to a new date but are unable to do so if the date on your ticket has already passed.

As a charity we can only issue refunds in certain circumstances. This does not include inclement weather. Applications for refunds should be received 48 hours before the day of the ticket. For example, if you have a ticket for Saturday, we would need to receive your refund application before midnight on Wednesday.

Please contact tickets@wwt.org.uk if you would like to change the date on your ticket or apply for a refund.
: One of the many benefits of our memberships is that you can start your day out with us without having to worry about buying tickets. Following the recent changes to government Covid guidance, we’ve removed the need to book and members can once again enjoy a visit to our site whenever you like during opening hours.
: Yes you will still need to book to use your corporate partner tickets to visit a WWT centre. To do this you will need to visit your dedicated partner webpage for more details. These webpage details should be in your confirmation email if your employer/corporate partner has provided you with codes to redeem or from your staff benefits portal if not. If you have any further questions please contact corporate-enquiries@wwt.org.uk.

Still have a question?

If your question hasn't been answered, please get in touch.

For any booking enquiries relating to a new or existing booking please email tickets@wwt.org.uk.

For membership enquiries that don’t relate to booking a visit, please visit our dedicated membership FAQs page. We hope you’ll find an answer here but please follow the link to contact us if not.

For all other enquiries, please submit your question to the right department using our contact form – if your question relates to your local centre, please be sure to select them in the drop-down.