Bernwood Meadows, Bucks

This is a wonderful nature reserve to visit from mid-spring to early summer when the wild flowers are in bloom and butterflies abound. Cowslips and cuckooflower are some of the first flowers to bloom followed by green-winged orchids later in the spring.

Over 100 plant species have been recorded here thanks to BBOWT's careful management, and it is worth just standing quietly for a moment to take in the buzz and hum of the insects and the spectrum of colour.

You can still see the old ridge-and-furrow pattern here from ploughing in days gone by. Some plants like cuckooflower prefer the wetter furrows while others like meadow buttercup prefer the drier ridges, and this give the stripy appearance to the fields.

Access: Flat, some bumpy ground, soft after rain; kissing gates

Bernwood Meadows

College Lake, Bucks

Spring is in the air and the breeding season is beginning. Look out for our water birds performing their courtship rituals. From lapwings flying acrobatically high overhead to great crested grebes performing their 'weed dance' there is plenty of activity to enjoy at the nature reserve.

During the Easter holidays, come along and follow the Easter eggsplorer family trail and match wildlife to its egg! Find out more here.

Access: Gentle slopes, 90% surfaced paths, gates, benches. Please note: some of our paths are uneven.

Some wheelchair access, including hides; two mobility Tramper vehicles are available to use - Contact the Visitor Centre on 01442 826774 to make a booking.

College Lake

Hartslock, Oxon

This steeply sloping nature reserve near Goring-on-Thames is one of the few places to see a pasqueflower. The purple pasqueflower is now a rare plant in the UK, restricted to just a few chalk and limestone grasslands, including Hartslock. Steeped in legend, it usually flowers around Easter, so is known as the 'anemone of Passiontide'.

The reserve is worth a detour from a walk along the nearby Thames Path for the magnificent views over Goring Gap. Sit and watch the red kites soar overhead. Later in the spring the chalk grassland fills with orchids and other wild flowers, which attract plenty of butterflies and other insects, so make a note in your diary for a return visit.

Access: Steep slopes, firm paths; long flight of steps

Hartslock

Hosehill Lake, Berks

This beautiful lake is surrounded by meadows, ponds and sheltered reedbeds, a great place to watch time go by. Look out for the return of our summer visitors - including house martins, and swallows are early arrivals followed by swifts later in the season. You may even be lucky enough to hear a nightingale singing in the dense scrub. Our resident birds, including great crested grebes, will also be breeding, raising the next generation of waterbirds.

Access: Mix of grass and surfaced paths, flat around northern part of lake, undulating to south. Narrow bridges. Lakeside paths muddy in winter. Bicycles and horse riding not permitted.

Hosehill Lake

Iffley Meadows, Oxon

The sight of thousands of purple and white chequered snake's-head fritillaries at these ancient wet meadows will take your breath away. Each spring, Iffley Meadows plays host to a wonderful wildlife spectacle where you can enjoy Oxfordshire's iconic flower, the snake's-head fritillary, in bloom in its natural surroundings along with other wild flowers.

Before BBOWT took over management of the nature reserve in 1983, a mere 500 of these flowers could be found. As a result of BBOWT's careful management of the site and controlled grazing, numbers of fritillaries have shot up to over 89,000 in a good year - a huge success story. Look out for the results of this year's count later in the spring when we will find out the effect of the wet winter on the numbers.

Access: Flat overall; rough underfoot in places, wet patches all year; kissing gates, gates, 30m 1 in 4 ramp from road to towpath.

Iffley Meadows

Moor Copse, Berks

This diverse woodland wildlife treasure trove astride the River Pang is a haven of peace and beauty, renowned for its flowers, butterflies and moths. The river meanders through the woodland providing a beautiful setting that is thought to have inspired EH Shepard to illustrate The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

As spring goes on a carpet of bluebells will fill the woodland with their beautiful colour and fragrance while the meadows will also start to come to life with wildflowers blooming and attracting butterflies and other insects.

Access: Flat, soft ground after rain, can flood in winter; some cross slopes and coarse aggregates on paths, gates.

Moor Copse