Humberhead Peatlands NNR

14/08/2026

We're pleased to let you know that Humberhead National Nature Reserve has reopened to visitors.

The Fire Severity Index has now fallen to Level 4, meaning the exceptional wildfire risk that led to the closure has passed.

We appreciate your patience and understanding while our reserve was closed. Your support meant we could protect visitors, staff and this irreplaceable peatland habitat during a period of very high fire severity.

If you are planning to come and see us this weekend, please follow this advice to help reduce the chance of harm to people and nature:

Pack a picnic, instead of a BBQ.
Take your rubbish home – glass starts fires, rubbish fuels a fire.
If you see a fire unattended, get to a safe place and call 999.

We hope you enjoy your visit and thank you for continuing to help us protect this special place.

12/08/2026

We're letting you know that Humberhead Peatlands NNR will be closed to visitors from Thursday 13th August.
The fire risk here is forecast to reach "exceptional" levels this week, so we're closing the reserve to keep people, wildlife and this precious peatland habitat safe.

What this means for your visit:

Thursday: the reserve will be closed. Please do not attempt to visit.
Friday: closure is likely but not yet certain, so please check this page for the latest information before travelling.

Peatland habitats take an extremely long time to recover from fire damage, and dry, exceptional-risk conditions mean even a small spark could cause serious harm to the landscape and put visitors at risk.
We know this is disappointing, especially if you had a visit planned, but protecting people and this irreplaceable habitat has to come first.

We'll post updates here as soon as we have more information, including confirmation on Friday and details of when the reserve will reopen. Thank you for your understanding and for helping us look after Humberhead Peatlands.

And remember, if you are visiting the countryside, please follow this advice to reduce the risk of wildfire harm to people and nature:

- Pack a picnic, instead of a BBQ
- Take your rubbish home – glass starts fires, rubbish fuels a fire
- If you see a fire unattended - get to a safe place and call 999.

04/02/2026

31/10/2024

To clarify the Blue route at Hatfield Moors. It goes from Boston Park car park north and straight up the hard core track to Ten Acre car park where you can head off site here towards Hatfield Woodhouse village. It also goes south from BP car park towards Badger Corner Lake and does a nice loop from the lake along a grassy track and re-joins the hard core track going back to BP car park. The Blue route is the cycle route on Hatfield Moors and the only route permissible for cycles on the reserve. It's also the horse riding route - by permit in advance only. Applications for horse riding will receive full details of route as part of the application process - [email protected]. These routes and others are all on the main access point interpretation boards.

22/10/2024

The Blue route at Hatfield Moors is now fully open again to visitors and also forms the cycle and horse riding route through site. The compost toilet is also open. Photo (c) P Tiplady

23/05/2024

NNR Week - Pink Route Family Activity on Hatfield Moors

Take a quiz sheet from the dispenser near the car park information boards. Set off up the sandy hill following the Pink arrows on the black posts.

The walk is about 1.5 hours long but depends how fast you walk and take to answer the clues and you could complete it in less time!!!

There are 15 notices to find along the way hanging from trees or stapled to structures like platforms or benches and the black posts. Enjoy the walk as you go.

When you have found all the answers and way back to the Boston Park car park, place your completed sheet in the red box in the bird hide in the corner of the car park.

If your name is drawn from the box at the end of
NNR Week we’ll contact you as you will have won a small prize. Happy NNR Week.

23/05/2024

Here are the events for NNR Week 2024. See the Events section for any falling after NNR Week.

23/05/2024

A heart warming second day to the NNR Week ( ) celebrations at Humberhead with a group of locals from the Thorne town community visiting Hatfield Moors. This year's annual Natural England NNR Week theme is focussed on new audiences and at Humberhead we have made a valuable link with older more lonely and often isolated people. The group arrived on a somewhat dull weather day but their spirits were anything but that with lively chat and stories of what they remember of the Moors and their knowledge of wildlife. They were introduced to the NNR facilities and then most of them set out on a short nature walk exploring the Easy Access trail - various wheelchair designs and walking frames letting the NNR staff consider this route and how it might develop from the visit. A full day of bird watching, moth trap discovery and painting followed and with lunch being provided as part of the NNR Week funding. We hope this is just the start of many visits this group now feel able to make. For more access details at Humberhead contact 07766 420290 or [email protected]

23/05/2024

Monday saw the first day of Natural England's annual NNR Week ( ) celebrations focussing this year on welcoming new audiences. Changing Lives, a group from Doncaster visited Hatfield Moors by minibus funded from the NNR Week. A small group of ladies from seven different countries including Iran, Iraq, Afganistan and Kosova were able to see and experience the special habitat at this stunning NNR, designated as a peatbog reserve with a short nature walk along the Easy Access route directly off the Boston Park site car park. Passing through ponds and lakes, the remnants from sand and gravel extraction they were able to see and hear wildfowl and watch darting dragonflies on the fringe of the bog. Looking at bugs and plants as the trail meandered through fresh spring green tree and hedge growth the morning air was filled with bird song and the group's own laughter and chatter. After a lunch where the visitors swapped their home-baked flatbreads with each other the group then investigated what had been caught in the moth trap set the night before with the Senior Reserve Manager. It was great to share NNR staff's survey skills with a visiting group. This went on further when the group visited one of three bird hides sited along the trail to watch for birds across the enchanting Boston Park Lake using binoculars and scopes . Later the day was brought to a close with a craft painting activity where the ladies were able to draw on their days experiences and capture their own thoughts of the visit in colour. The paintings will be used to bring charm and vibrance to the exterior of the Hatfield office building and car park fencing and be a legacy of the visit. These will be installed by the NNR's own NNR Volunteers who helpfully carry out so many of the little tasks like this. A lovely day for all involved arranging and delivering the visit to Humberhead and sharing the wildlife and beauty of this special place. Looking forward to future visits and involvement with Changing Lives.

27/02/2024

Fabulous day at Humberhead Peatlands NNR today training Nature Champions from different and diverse community groups in Nature Connectedness to be advocates in their local communities in Hull. This training will have a positive impact on health, wellbeing and promote better understanding of and outcomes for nature. , , , House, Smile, Wildlife Trust. Funded by Natural England in partnership with Hey Smile and Nature Connectedness training delivered by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.