Milton Locks Nature Reserve

Milton Locks by Paul Gonella

Milton Locks by Paul Gonella

A green oasis in the heart of Portsmouth

Location

Locksway Road
Milton
Hampshire
PO4 8LB

OS Map Reference

SZ 6765 9975
A static map of Milton Locks Nature Reserve

Know before you go

Size
1 hectare
z

Entry fee

Donations welcome
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Parking information

Car park adjacent to the Thatched House pub. Further parking is available opposite The Old Oyster house pub.

Walking trails

Flat, unsurfaced path but fairly smooth, quite narrow.

Access

Contact the Trust for disabled access information. 

Dogs

Under effective control

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times.

Best time to visit

Visit during the summer to see a range of insects and butterflies.

About the reserve

A small but perfectly formed pocket of wildness, Milton Locks nature reserve is a coastal oasis on the border of Portsmouth’s urban sprawl. It’s the last natural section of coastline on this on this side of Langstone Harbour and is packed full of different habitats and wildlife.

The small wood provides much-needed shelter to birds such as starlings and house sparrows, and the nectar-rich flowers that grow in the dappled sunlight provide food for painted lady and small copper butterflies. The path snakes through tall grass, which buzzes with an orchestra of grasshoppers and crickets, before opening out to the shoreline. 

The path through the tall grass buzzes with an orchestra of grasshoppers and crickets, before opening out to the shoreline. 

Depending on the tide, you might be lucky enough to spot tiny fish in the shallows, crabs scuttling between clumps of seaweed, or oystercatchers foraging on the mudflats. And don’t forget to look out saltmarsh specialist plants, like sea purslane, sea aster and common saltmarsh-grass.

 

Contact us

Joe Rackstraw
Contact number: 07917 616696

Location map

Map key

Map Key