Currently the permissive path is open 24/7 all year round except for one day a year when it is shut. Public access at Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve is currently restricted to the permissive footpath on the west side of the reserve, connecting Beddington Park to the south with Mitcham Common to the north.
There are three entrances along the permissive path as detailed by the map below. One is via a gate in the north west corner of Beddington Park (opposite Elmwood Close), another via a path over the bridge from Hackbridge (opposite the Sainsbury’s locals, known as Mile Road), and the third via a gate by Mitcham Golf Course, which can be accessed either from the Beddington Lane Tram stop or by walking from Carshalton Road (the A237) and over the railway bridge adjacent to the golf course.
There are currently three public hides along the permissive footpath. The one closest to Mitcham overlooks the Phase 1 Wet Grassland and the one closest to Beddington Park provides views of the South Lake and Southernmost Lake/Reedbed. The middle hide looks out over the North Lake. The rest of the site, though visible in some places from the permissive path, is currently restricted to keyholding members of the Beddington Farm Bird Group. As part of Viridor’s restoration obligations (which have now been handed over to new site owners Valencia Waste Management as of spring 2022), future public access to more of the reserve should be implemented.
Getting to Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve
By Bus – The 151 (Wallington <> Worcester Park) stops extremely close to the entrance from Beddington Park (Park Road) and the Hackbridge entrance (Hackbridge Corner / Hackbridge Station). The 127 (Purley <> Tooting Broadway) also stops by the latter, as well as near the Mitcham end of the site (either Goat Road or Mitcham Junction Station). Alternatively, bus stops south of Beddington Park are approximately a 15 minute walk to the reserve, with buses 407, 410, 463, 612 and 633 all stopping along here.
By Train – Hackbridge Station is the closest train station, being a 5 minute walk away from the Beddington Park and Hackbridge entrances. The station is served by both Southern and Thameslink trains. Mitcham Junction Station is a little further away, but still only around a 10 minutes walk away from the northern end of the public footpath.
By Tram – Trams from Wimbledon to Beckenham Junction or Elmers End are also found at Mitcham Junction station, plus the adjacent stop Beddington Lane.
By Car – There are a number of places parking is possible. We advise using the free parking available at Beddington Car Park West in Beddington Park, which is a short walk from the southern entrance to the farmlands (please note that the Grange Pub car park is only available for guests of the pub). Any of the other car parks in the park can be used too, but are slightly further away from the nearest entrance to the permissive path. Parking is also available on a number of side roads to the west of Beddington Park and in Hackbridge, though not all of these are free. Charging ports are available in Hackbridge for electric vehicles. Hackbridge Station also has a paid car park.
Accessibility and Facilities
There are no toilets along the permissive footpath. The nearest public toilets are found in Beddington Park, where a cafe is open 09:00-16:30, and at the Lidl in Hackbridge. The Lidl is among a number of places in Hackbridge where food and drink can be purchased.
Footwear
We advise sturdy walking boots and/or mud and water resistant footwear when visiting, especially in the winter months (October-March.) In the spring and summer footwear such as trainers may be adequate if there has been little to no rain.
Pets
Though dogs are permitted along the path and there are fences bordering the nature reserve, we recommend keeping dogs on leashes for the safety of the wildlife using the site.
Ticks
Ticks can be found in long grass locally, and so caution is required when walking near long grass or with pets. Avoiding shorts/tucking leg clothing into socks can reduce the risk of picking up ticks and ultimately minimise the risk of lymes disease.
Where and When to Visit
The annual cycle of bird life and migration is continuous and unbroken. Spring migrants arrive while winter visitors are still present and, when the last of the spring migrants are still heading north, the first of the return autumn migrants are heading south. Therefore, Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve is well worth a visit at any time of year. However, if you are trying to see some specific species on the site then there are different times of year to visit and maximise your chances. For birding, especially during the peak migration times, we recommend visiting early morning and late evenings, as this is often when the most exciting things turn up.
Winter (Mid Nov to Feb) – Bird migration slows. Gulls and waterfowl predominate during these months, although the former has drastically decreased in recent years due to cessation of landfill. Despite this, there is still the possibility of picking out a Caspian, Mediterranean or Yellow-legged Gull amongst the commoner species. Iceland and Glaucous Gulls may be a thing of the past but we shall see what the next few years bring. New arrivals of birds tend to mainly be during periods of hard weather when birds are displaced from their wintering grounds and forced to seek out new feeding opportunities. The site has some incredible historic records of cold weather movement, which have included mass movements of waders such as Lapwing and Golden Plover, as well as congregations of passerines such as buntings. When water bodies start to freeze over the likelihood of a scarcer duck species at Beddington Farmlands is increased. Outside of hard weather periods, the site is also home to overwintering Water Pipit, Common Snipe with the odd Jack Snipe, Water Rail and Stonechat, as well as wildfowl, including predominately Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler, Tufted Duck and Pochard, plus the occasional Pintail and Wigeon. Small groups of winter thrushes like Fieldfare and Redwing can be seen using the site to feed. Rarities to look out for include Whooper Swan and White-fronted Goose. In certain conditions flocks of Kittiwakes have been witnessed moving overhead en masse and some years Dartford Warbler have overwintered.
Spring (March-May) – The first spring migrants arrive in March and early April. Typically these include Little Ringed Plover, Sand Martin, Wheatear, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. Gull and wildfowl numbers generally start to decline around now. As April progresses more summer visitors gradually put in an appearance. Commoner species include Sedge and Reed Warbler, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Hobby, Yellow Wagtail, Swallow, House Martin and the first Swifts. Marsh Harrier, Curlew, Whimbrel, Redshank, Greenshank, Little Gull, Tree Pipit, Redstart, Whinchat, and Ring Ouzel are just some of the scarcer migrants that are seen most springs. Osprey, Cuckoo, Nightingale, Black Redstart, and Grasshopper Warbler can be expected in some years. Terns and waders are a speciality of late April to mid-May. East winds can create the deflection of waders and terns from following the continent to being pushed over the Channel and inland towards places such as here at Beddington.
Summer (late May to mid July) – Most migrants are either further north of Beddington or already on breeding grounds by late May. The pace of migration eases but the movement of birds is unrelenting. By mid-June, presumably non-breeding Green Sandpipers return to the farm awaiting the return of the breeding adults from mid-July. This time of year can be great for proper mega rarities turning up and some of Beddington’s most notable vagrants have been recorded during this period: Woodlark, Golden Oriole, Rosefinch, pair of Black-necked Grebes, Purple Heron, Bluethroat, Marsh Warbler, Pectoral Sandpiper, Temminck’s Stint and Red-throated Diver to name a few. Calls of young birds can be heard all over at this time too. Locally bred Starling begin to build up in large numbers and the noisy begging call of juvenile Reed Warblers can be heard all along the permissive path. Passerines are busy feeding young and so typically less vociferous, and as the adults undergo the post-breeding moult they can become particularly elusive. Large numbers of Swifts can be seen over the lakes.
Autumn (Mid July to early Nov) – The return migration of birds breeding in the northern hemisphere begins. More protracted than the sudden deluge of migration in spring, the autumn movements are more relaxed, involving larger numbers of birds as populations are boosted by newly fledged young. Green Sandpiper numbers have reached incredible peaks of 40+ birds in some years. Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Greenshank and Snipe use the Farmlands as a staging post. Wood Sandpiper, Ruff, Dunlin and Ringed Plover are also regular. Black-tailed Godwit are recorded most frequently in July. Occasionally Little Stint and very rarely Curlew Sandpiper have been recorded in prevailing conditions. Careful scrutiny of the sky can reveal the passage of waders and terns overhead, especially during east winds, as well as birds of prey. Stormy conditions can also push in seabirds such as Arctic Skua and Gannet from the coast. September is a good month to find a rare wader such as a Pectoral Sandpiper, but by then most of the larger numbers of warblers have moved on. From late September into October migrants tend to be moving west, destined for wintering grounds within the UK and NW Europe. This is a time for visible overhead passerine migration. Large numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare can be seen moving some days, as well as Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Siskin and sometimes Skylark. Rarer species at this time may include Lapland and Snow Bunting, scarce pipits, Hen Harrier and Brent Goose.
Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve 