About the reserve

This spectacular wetland nature reserve, nestled along the meandering River Alt in North Merseyside, wasn’t always the wildlife wonderland it is today. Between 2012 and 2014 it was intensively farmed arable land, and only when it was bought by the Environment Agency for development as a flood storage reservoir (that would double as a nature reserve) did Lunt Meadows become a real destination for bird-lovers. Now the reserve is home to wet grasslands, huge reedbeds, pools and ponds as well as a dry grassland meadow. 

When there is a flood event onsite we do have to close the reserve and car park, to find out more about why we flood please read our blog Why Does Lunt Meadows Flood? 

Spring and summer see the water burst into life as breeding waders flock to the reserve Lapwings, redshank, dunlin and oystercatchers jostle for position with herons and egrets. We have even had little ringed plovers and avocets breeding at Lunt Meadows. Sedge and reed warblers call from deep within the reeds and you may catch a rare glimpse of an elusive bittern. While if you turn your eyes skyward, you might be lucky enough to spot soaring marsh harriers, hovering kestrels or gliding barn owls. In the darker winter months, our wetlands become a refuge for many birds including flocks of teal, shoveler and wigeon.

If you can tear your eyes away from our bird life there is wonderful wildlife all around. From brilliant butterflies and dashing dragonflies to bouncy brown hares and fabulous frogs. If you are super lucky you might spot the rare Wall butterfly or an even rarer water vole! You never know what you might find. 

Our team run public events on site for all ages such as guided wildlife walks. To keep up to date with our events, visit our What's On page. If your group would like a private guided walk round the reserve or a talk please get in touch using the Lunt info email below. We also offer corporate conservation days for organisations who want a different kind of away day! 

Discover more about these days here

As well as a nature reserve, Lunt Meadows is a fascinating archaeological site home to one of just a few surviving Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) settlements. People were living here 9000 years ago! Head to the National Museum of Liverpool website for more information about the site’s history and the exciting finds unearthed by archaeologists. 

In spring 2025 we opened our lovely Learning Centre as a base for our events and educational visits. If you interested in organising a trip for your school, college or university please visit our education visits at Lunt Meadows page to see what we offer. 

Our Learning Centre is also available to hire, with catering provided by Sunshine Tea Rooms, please email conferences@lancswt.org.uk or call the conference team on 01772 504100 with any enquiries.

In December 2020, we received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to launch 'the Mesolithic and Modern Life' project at Lunt Meadows, a 5-year project aiming to enhance the visitor experience of the site while continuing to improve the habitats for wildlife. This was a partnership project between 5 local organisations (the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Crosby Soroptimists International, the Museum of Liverpool, the Environment Agency and University of Chester, Department of History and Archaeology) and you can find out more about this exciting project by watching the Lunt team's online talks on our Youtube channel.

Of course, the reserve wouldn’t be where it is today without the help of our fantastic volunteers who meet weekly, rain or shine, for practical on-site tasks. We also have other volunteering roles if practical conservation is not for you, please click the link below to have a look at all our open opportunities.

Register to volunteer at Lunt Meadows

If there are no opportunities available currently, please do get in touch using the Lunt info contact email below as we can talk through your volunteering options.