Avalon Marshes Centre

The Avalon Marshes Centre

Please note that major refurbishments are currently underway at the Centre.  Although the cafe, gallery and information point all remain open, parking spaces are limited, and work will be taking place around the site for the next few months, so please take care and bear with us while these improvements take place.  Thank you for your understanding.

The Avalon Marshes Centre sits at the heart of Somerset’s Avalon Marshes. Owned and managed by Natural England the Centre has visitor information, café, craft shop, replica historic buildings, classroom, meeting room, car park and accessible toilets. It is an important focus for educational and other events and the central hub for the management of the Avalon Marshes nature reserves, providing a base for the RSPB, Somerset Wildlife Trust, the Hawk & Owl Trust and Natural England. The replica buildings are in the care of the South West Heritage Trust. The Centre provides a good starting point to Explore the area and has undergone significant improvements in recent years with more to come.  

A short walk (c400m) along the road is Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve (NNR); about 2 miles away are Ham Wall NNR, Shapwick Moor, Catcott Complex and Westhay Moor NNR. All are within easy cycling distance and have car parking. To find out more go to our Nature Reserve pages.

The Avalon Marshes Centre is linked to Glastonbury by the Bittern Trail. This almost entirely traffic-free cycle route through Shapwick Heath and Ham Wall NNRs links into National Cycle Route 3.

Avalon Archaeology: The Past Reconstructed

Avalon Archaeology is a place to discover local heritage alongside the natural environment in a beautiful rural location. History is brought to life through archaeological reconstructions of buildings from different time periods, which are complemented by an array of furniture and art that allows rich insight into the past.

On your visit you can explore:

• Saxon longhall with open fire based on the palace excavated at nearby Cheddar decorated with carved woodwork and murals
• The dining room of a typical Roman villa in Somerset with a magnificent mosaic floor and murals, heated by a hypocaust
• Viking trading vessel with mast and rigging based on the Skuldelev 3 wreck
• Iron Age Roundhouse based on those in the Glastonbury Lake Village (under construction in 2023)
• The world’s oldest excavation hut and a cinema showing short films on local archaeology

The Avalon Archaeology site has been created as a labour of love by a team of volunteers working one day a week since 2015, with only a short, enforced break due to Covid. It began as a small part of the (Award Winning) Heritage Lottery-funded Avalon Marshes Landscape Partnership Project and was intended to give volunteers practical hands-on experience of traditional building techniques by building archaeological reconstructions. Over 110 volunteers have contributed their time and expertise.

Find Out More: www.avalonarchaeology.org.uk

Craft Gallery

The attractive gallery and craft shop is operated by Somerset Crafts, a group of local artists and craftsmen. Open seven days a week sells a wide range of original hand-crafted items, many drawing their inspiration from the wildlife and landscape of the Avalon Marshes.

To find out more go to www.somersetcrafts.com . They also have an Instagram site.

Artwork: George Foweraker / Viv White / Val & Al

Marshes Hub Tea Stop

The Centre has an on-site cafe, with outdoor and indoor seating, open 9.30am – 5pm seven days/week. The Marshes Hub Tea Stop serves hot and cold drinks, a range of breakfast options, a varied light lunch menu including freshly made soups, quiches, toasties etc, cream teas, selection of home made cakes and specials of the day.   A warm welcome can always be assured by Sally and her team .

Visitor Information Point

Located in the Craft Gallery, our Visitor Information Point has maps and leaflets about the nature reserves, a mural showcasing some of our wildlife and heritage, and a digital touchscreen providing in-depth related information, including latest wildlife sightings.  The desk is manned at weekends and some weekdays by staff and volunteers who will endeavour to answer your questions and help you to get the best out of your visit.

History of the Centre

In 1963 a local family, the Rogers, bought a small cottage called “The Willows” and its adjoining peat-rich land. Trading as “the Willows Peat Company” the peat was dug, bagged and sold. In 1976 the Rogers opened a garden centre which complemented the growing demand for horticultural peat – the “The Willows Garden Centre”.

Nearby peat was being excavated in huge quantities by peat companies such as Eclipse, Fisons, and Godwins, unearthing a remarkable archaeological record in the process, including the famous Sweet Track. These finds were recorded and rescued where possible by the Somerset Levels Project led by John and Bryony Coles. Seeking somewhere local to tell the archaeological story and display some of the finds, the project worked with Roger Rogers to establish the Peat Moors Centre. In 1992 it was expanded to tell some of the story of the Lake Villages. Two Iron Age round-houses were constructed, and the Bulleid and Gray hut used during the excavation of the Lake Villages was moved to the site. This work was funded by Somerset County Council who took over the running of the heritage part of the site.

In 2006 the site was purchased by English Nature (now Natural England) as an office and work base for the growing Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve and other Somerset reserves. Further developments provided a work space for the RSPB, Somerset Wildlife Trust and others; the Avalon Marshes Centre was born. Sadly, the Peat Moors Centre shut its doors to the public in 2009 but it continued to be used as an educational resource and provided a work base for the South West Heritage Trust’s “Hands on Heritage” team.

Recent improvements

2017-19 has seen significant investment at the Centre by Natural England funded by Defra. The life expired portacabins have been replaced by a modern new office building for staff and volunteers. The Craft Centre has been refurbished and upgraded. The Centre’s carbon footprint is now much reduced: the buildings having insulation to modern standards; LED lighting has been fitted; a large array of solar panels providing free power; and it is planned to have electric car re-charging points. The underground services have been modernised, including a mains sewer which required a new pipe to be laid for almost a mile up the road. Another “hidden” addition is a high-speed fibre link which also gives free wi-fi for visitors. The latest changes have been to the external areas with new soft and hard landscaping, improved car parking and paths, and the removal of the old, and life-expired classrooms.

A replacement classroom and meeting room have now been built funded by the EU’s Leader+ initiative. There is still work to do: new toilets; extend the landscaping and car park upgrading; a café extension; and one day hopefully an off-road direct link to the reserves.  Many of these stages have been designed, the challenge of course is the funding.  Thank you for your patience while we continue to improve the site.

How to get from the Centre to the Shapwick Heath nature reserve

In case you are struggling to find your way from the Avalon Marshes Centre to the reserve at Shapwick Heath, which is about 400m away, this short video will show you the way…

Location

Link to map

Post code BA6 9TT (takes you to within half a mile); Grid ref. ST 425 414; what3words: cave.logbook.icon

Opening hours

Car Park
9am to 9pm seven days a week.  Parking by voluntary donation via mobile phone: One hour: £1.50, all day: £3; or cash via donation boxes in the cafe or gallery.

Somerset Crafts Gallery
10am to 5pm seven days a week except at Christmas.  (Christmas Eve 10am – 3pm; Christmas Day – closed; Boxing Day and New Year’s Day 10am – 3pm)

Marshes Hub Tea Stop
9.30am to 5pm seven days a week except at Christmas. (Christmas hours as per Gallery above)

Please note that only food and drink from the cafe may be consumed at the indoor and garden seating.

Offices/Work Base
Generally open 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday.  Closed over Christmas period.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome at the Centre but please keep them on a short lead at all times, and take your dog waste home.  Please note that dogs are not allowed on the main area of Shapwick Heath, which is the closest nature reserve to the Centre.