About
Come on a family birdwatching walk with Joanne Lee of the RSPB and learn about the birdlife that exists in the area that was the first nature reserve in the world. The nature of the walk will take account of the weather forecast on the day.
Charles Waterton conducted meticulous bird observations, recording 123 species at Walton Hall and winter counts exceeding 5,000 wildfowl. He used a telescope to verify that wigeons eat grass like geese and detailed the mallard’s bi-annual moulting process. Waterton’s records highlight unusual behaviours, such as herons swimming in deep water and a wild duck nesting in ruined ivy. He tracked nesting success, documenting 43 heron nests and identifying eight British owl species. By logging migration dates for swifts and swallows, Waterton demonstrated a deep commitment to avian life cycles.
Charles Waterton transformed his ancestral estate, Walton Hall, into the world’s first nature reserve. Motivated by the “merciless slaughter” of wildlife by gamekeepers and poachers, he constructed a three-mile boundary wall to exclude hunters and foxes. The wall was built in three stages and completed in 1826. In May 2026 it celebrates its 200th birthday: WallFest 26. WallFest 26 is a celebration of the completion of the wall and its heritage.
This sanctuary allowed birds to “perform their daily functions without fear and trembling”.
His letters reveal a man deeply attuned to his “living Fauna,” noting the arrival of sand martins or the return of the green woodpecker to the Grotto. Conversely, he lamented the “pestiferous” industrial smoke from nearby factories that drove species like rooks away. Ultimately, Waterton believed a connection to nature was essential for human well-being, financing his conservation efforts through personal austerity and the “wine I do not drink”.