Lackford Lakes - Kezia Tan
Kezia Tan
Kezia Tan
Kezia Tan
Kezia Tan
Simply C Photography
Mike Andrews
Arthur Rivett
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre
Location
OS Map Reference
TL 801706View on What3Words
Know before you go
Dogs
Dogs on a short lead are only permitted on the red Sayer's Breck path.
Please note only assistance dogs are permitted in the café. Lead hooks are available on the outside of the building.
When to visit
Opening times
Visitor Centre 10am - 4.30pm (café 10am - 4pm)Car park 9am - 5pm
Nature Reserve open dawn to dusk, access via Church walk
Best time to visit
All year roundAbout the reserve
Listen to the sound of singing birds in spring with the arrival of nightingales and warblers from Africa. The first bees and butterflies start to make appearances on bright spring days.
Later in summer, the reserve is alive with damselflies and dragonflies. Swallows and martins sweep over the water's surface feeding on small flies. The lakesides are busy with nesting great-crested grebe, kingfisher, tufted duck and water rail. Bright stems of purple-loosestrife, common fleabane and gipsywort create colour at the water's edge.
Gold and red colours mark the coming of autumn with the arrival of a wide range of wildfowl. Birds including shoveler, lapwing, goosander, bittern and goldeneye depend on the lakes during the winter months.
Open seven days a week, there is always someone in the Visitor Centre to help you plan your visit, identify anything you've spotted or chat to you about the work we do and how you can support us.
The café sells barista coffee and a range of snacks including toasties, soup, scones, local ice creams and delicious locally-made cakes. Vegan and Gluten-free options are available, chat to the team to find out more.
Species
Contact us
Environmental designation
This summer at Lackford Lakes:
Summer Adventure at Lackford Lakes!
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre,
Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk
Summer Holiday Club at Lackford Lakes
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre,
Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk
Twilight Safari
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre,
Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk
Wildlife Wander
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre,
Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk
Wild Tots at Lackford Lakes: Summer Holiday specials
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre,
Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk
Kezia Tan
Activities & binocular hire
Hire our discovery pack - £6
A kit with fun for all the family, including a spotter sheet, activities, special trails, binocular hire and a magnifying glass. Bring your completed activity pack back to the centre for a prize.
Binocular hire - £4
Get a closer look at Lackford's wildlife. Different sizes available for big or small hands.
Kezia Tan
Shop & cafe
The shop has a selection of handpicked stationery, wildlife gifts, books, art, cards, good range of binoculars and telescopes.
The cafe serves barista coffee, a range of toasted ciabattas, sausage rolls as well as delicious local cakes, scones, ice cream and ice lollies.
Kezia Tan
Group visits
We welcome groups of all sizes at Lackford Lakes and can provide guided walks, introductory walks and refreshments. If you are looking to arrange a group visit, please email us and we will help you get the most from your visit:
Kingfisher © Malcolm Brown
Become a member
The support of our members helps us care for wildlife-rich landscapes such as Lackford Lakes. Join today, or renew your membership, and help protect and restore Suffolk's wildlife and wild places.
Wildlife update - 9th Aug 2026
Heading into August at Lackford Lakes and our butterflies and dragonflies are still very active around the reserve.
Starting with those beautiful butterflies. We are really fortunate to have good numbers of butterflies on the reserve and so far, this year we have seen 27 different types of butterflies on the reserve. The latest addition to the list has been clouded yellow. These have been appearing at various places on the reserve, Sayer’s Breck trail seems to be best for seeing these. Others to look out for include: small heath, red admiral, peacock, comma, painted lady and speckled wood.
As with butterflies, Lackford is really good for dragonflies / damselflies. Damselflies to look out for include red-eyed damselfly and common blue damselfly. Dragonflies to look out for include black-tailed skimmer, common darter, ruddy darter, brown hawker, southern hawker, emperor dragonfly and migrant hawker.
Other wildlife to look for include:
- Great crested grebes on our eastern lakes
- Common terns are around.
- Flocks of tits feeding around the reserve – blue, great and marsh.
- Red-mason bees around the centre
- Lapwing and common sandpiper occasionally on the slough.
- Quite a few hummingbird hawkmoths around.
- Kingfisher being occasionally seen on the slough.
Summer is a great time to visit Lackford lakes to see the range of wildlife that we have on the reserve. Please let us know what you see during your next visit by filling in the sightings book in the centre.