Martin Mere Wetland Centre
Ducks, Birds and Play at Martin Mere Wetland Centre
Located in Burscough, Lancashire, Martin Mere Wetland Centre is a brilliant day out for families, with plenty to see and do. From spotting birds and feeding the ducks to playing on the adventure playground, getting soaked in the Play & Paddle area and even hiring a canoe. Every school holiday the place turns even more fun with a mix of activities that get kids learning and playing.
Martin Mere Wetland Centre Martin Mere Wetland Centre Martin Mere Wetland Centre
Top Info
📅 Open 364 days a year
⏰️ Opening times vary if summer or winter
🎟️ Book online and save 10%
🎟️ Universal Credit Tickets
💦 Uks longest stretch of stepping stones
🚢 Boat rides start from 28th March
🛶 Hire a canoe for £12 for 3 people
🛥️ Go on a guided boat safari £3.50 pp
🦢 Feed birds and ducks in the summer
🐦 Bird food £1.50
🐻 Otter Talks
🐛 Bug hunt zone
🎨 Craft room open w/ends & school hols
🛝 Adventure playground
💦 Paddle & Play area
🩱 Bring spare clothes, swimsuit, wet shoes
🎨 Extra activities during school holidays
🎟️ Annual pass available
🚗 Free parking
🥪 Picnic spots
☕️ Cafe on site
👶 Pushchair friendly
👨🦼 Fully accessible
🌎 Fish Lane, Burscough, Lancashire, L40 0TA
We recently spent the day here during the summer holidays and was instantly impressed with the site with how much there is for children to do. Its also one of those days out that is as much for the adults as the kids.
There are lots of different areas to explore, so you can easily spend several hours wandering around, stopping to watch the birds, playing, feeding the ducks and trying out some of the activities.
Stretch of Stepping Stones at Martin Mere Stretch of Stepping Stones at Martin Mere
🪨 The UK's Longest Stretch of Stepping Stones
One of the brand-new additions at Martin Mere is the UK's longest stretch of stepping stones.
It’s a gorgeous addition to exploring around the site. You can walk across the lake via the stepping stones, all while keeping your feet dry!
It’s something a little different to add to your walk around, and my daughter loved how aesthetic they were too.
You can walk across the steps either way, when wee went it was really quiet so we had them to ourselves which felt really special and gave us a chance to walk slowly over them while chatting a few times.
Hire a Canoe at Martin Mere Hire a Canoe at Martin Mere
🛶 Hiring a Canoe
One of our favourite parts of the day was hiring a canoe.
We've been kayaking in other places before, but this felt completely different. Instead of simply paddling around an open body of water, the route is more like a maze, with different paths to choose from.
You paddle down narrow channels of water with plants growing on either side, and honestly, it felt a little bit like sailing through the Amazon!
You get the canoe for one hour and up to three people can fit in one canoe, so it's a lovely activity to do together as a family.
At just £12 for an hour, I thought it was really reasonably priced too.
Feeding the Ducks Feeding the Ducks
🦆 Feeding the Ducks & Birds
We also bought some duck food from the shop, which my daughter absolutely loved.
There are so many ducks and birds to see as you walk around Martin Mere, and some of them are incredibly tame. We had birds coming right up to us and even eating from our hands, which made this a real highlight for her.
It's definitely worth picking up some food if your children enjoy getting a little closer to the wildlife.
Otter Talk at Martin Mere Otter Talk at Martin Mere Otter Talk at Martin Mere
🦦 Animal talks and feeds
We caught the otter talk which was fantastic. When we walked past their enclosure earlier in the day we didn't see anything. But when you go during a talk and feed the otters are so lively and you really get to watch what they are like. See them, eating, swimming and playing with each other.
Play & Paddle at Martin Mere Play & Paddle at Martin Mere Play & Paddle at Martin Mere
💦 Play & Paddle Area
The Play & Paddle area is a brilliant place for children to play, have fun and, most importantly, get very wet!
There are pumps to get the water flowing through wooden channels, buckets to fill and trap doors that children can open and close to control where the water goes.
There's also a huge wooden cloud where you can actually make it rain and then run underneath it if you're brave enough!
My advice would be to embrace the wetness. Bring swimsuits or a full change of clothes because the best way to enjoy this area is to let the kids go wild and get properly soaked.
The floor is non-slip, but I would definitely recommend water shoes or Crocs as they'll make things much easier.
As well as the water play, there are also sunken trampolines and slides, so there's plenty here even when the children aren't playing in the water.
Adventure Playground at Martin Mere Adventure Playground at Martin Mere Adventure Playground at Martin Mere
🛝 Adventure Playground
Near the entrance you'll find a large adventure playground with some really good equipment.
There are swings, plenty of climbing and play equipment and a tall climbing tower with a slide.
But the highlight for us had to be the zip wire. It's genuinely one of the best zip wires we've been on, and it was a big hit!
It's a great place to let the kids burn off some energy either at the start or end of your visit.
Wildlife at Martin Mere Wildlife at Martin Mere Wildlife at Martin Mere
🛍️ The Shop
Don't forget to have a look inside the shop before you leave.
It's a bit of an Aladdin's cave, packed with lovely gifts and things to buy, particularly if you're interested in nature and wildlife.
You'll find birdwatching books, bug-finding toys, nature-themed gifts and plenty of little keepsakes to remind you of your visit.
Mere Side Café at Martin Mere Mere Side Café at Martin Mere ice cream at Martin Mere
☕Food & Drink
The Mere Side Café is the main place to eat, serving breakfast in the morning, followed by a selection of hot food, sandwiches, children’s portions, snacks, drinks and ice creams. There’s also a kiosk near the canoe safari, which is open at weekends and during school holidays, serving soft-scoop ice cream, drinks and snacks. Near this kiosk is also lots of picnic tables. We sat and enjoyed out picnic here between hiring our canoe and playing in the paddle and play. We then got an ice cream to walk around the rest of the site with,
🐦 Plenty More at School Holiday Time
Martin Mere is definitely one of those days out you can keep returning to. Every school holiday they have a new event to attract you back.
School holidays at Martin Mere School holidays at Martin Mere
🪰 Summer holidays are filled with activities for their Dragonfly Festival. Including
🐛 Bug Hunting Zone
🔎 GIANT Dragonfly Hunt
🎯 Dragonfly Outdoor Games
🎨 Dragonfly Crafts
📖 Storytime
🧪 Science Show
🫧 Bubble Party
🤹 Circus Skills
🧙♀️ October Half Term they have a Super Natural family friendly Halloween event which is less spooky and more magical where children can make their own magic wand and potion.
🎅 During Christmas time they have their Sail to Santa event. It’s a lovely Santa experience with a bit of a difference because children actually take a boat across to Santa’s Island.
Find out more Here
Press Visit Aug 2026
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