Planning your visit to Orton Mere and Woodston Reach Expand Assistance dogs Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the Park. Mobility scooters Mobility scooters are welcome on all surfaced paths throughout the Park. How to find us Please visit our Find us page for details of the different ways to get to Orton Mere and Woodston Reach. Parking Accessible parking bays are available at Orton Mere in the main car park and near the model boat powerboat landing stage on Osier Lake alongside the access road. A second overflow car park alongside the Nene Valley Railway station at Orton Mere is opened on occasions. There are no designated accessible bays in this area and there is a gradient from the parking area to the main path. Parking charges apply all day, every day. Please visit our Parking at Orton Mere and Woodston Reach page for details of charges and membership options. There are solar powered payment machines located in the main car park only but charges apply to all parking areas. Payment can be made at the machine by card only and the machines are ticketless. You can also pay on the parking app. All instructions are on the payment machines in the car park. Park Code For information on how to enjoy this area of Nene Park, please see our Park Code. We also have a text only version. Parklife newsletter Our regular newsletter Parklife is available in standard, large print or audio formats. All are freely available in advance of your visit either electronically or by post. Please contact us with details of your requirements.
Getting around Orton Mere and Woodston Reach Expand Path gradients and surfaces Orton Mere and Woodston Reach are natural landscapes and paths are made up of various surfaces which may be uneven in places. The main pathways at Orton Mere are tarmac and relatively flat. Mown grass routes are created around Orton Mere pond. The nearby Thorpe Meadows can be accessed by crossing the Nene Valley Railway and the footbridge over the lock. Please note there is a short ramp with self closing gates to access the railway crossing and a steep section on the path into Thorpe Meadows after the lock on the north side of the River. The paths at Woodston Reach are mostly tarmac but also include firm but muddy sections, a couple of narrow footbridges and significant gradients on the routes between Woodston Reach and Orton Mere and the neighbouring housing estate. The path network are shared routes for pedestrians and cyclists, and in some circumstances horse riders. A map of Orton Mere and Woodston Reach is at the main Orton Mere car park or do contact us to discuss your visit. Seating There is one bench at Orton Mere overlooking Osier Lake near to the vehicle entrance. The bench is sited in a grass area away from the tarmac path. Information A map of Orton Mere and Woodston Reach is at the main Orton Mere car park. Ranger assistance Whilst Orton Mere and Woodston Reach are patrolled periodically by Nene Park Trust staff and volunteers, there is not a regular staff presence in this area. However, if you require assistance while exploring these areas our Rangers are contactable via 07860 308081 from 08:00 – 18:30 March – September and 08:00 – 16:00 October – February. Please note our Ranger team is not available on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
Facilities and services at Orton Mere and Woodston Reach Expand Food & drink Orton Mere and Woodston Reach is the perfect place for a picnic or barbeque. Details on how to picnic and BBQ in Nene Park can be found on our Where to eat pages. Duck feeding We encourage the safe and healthy feeding of birds in the Park so please only feed the ducks and geese pellets available from Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre. General information on how visitors can help us keep the ducks and geese healthy can be found on our Feed the ducks page. Events Nene Park hosts many events throughout the year covering a range of activities, interests and ages. The events pages contain information about the broad accessibility of an event, which organisation is running the event and the contact details if you have any special requirements or queries regarding the accessibility of a particular event. Neckloop listening devices for use by those with hearing aids or non hearing aid users are available to visitors on Nene Park Trust guided walks and led events to pick up and amplify sound, making it clearer and easier to understand. If you feel this equipment may be of use to you on one of the Trusts events please contact us for more details. Bringing a companion/carer You can bring a companion or carer in for free to help you enjoy a Nene Park Trust event or activity that has an admission charge. Please note that not all events and activities at Nene Park are operated by Nene Park Trust. Enquiries about arrangements for companions/carers should be directed to the specific event/activity organiser. If you require a companion/carer to access a Nene Park Trust event please contact the Education and Activities team to discuss any additional access requirements and arrange booking. If you require a companion/carer to access a course or activity with Nene Park Trust at Nene Outdoors activity centre please contact Nene Outdoors to discuss any additional access requirements and arrange booking. While carer(s) will be allowed entry to the event/activity with you free of charge, they must at all times be in a caring role that is providing support and assistance. It is not acceptable for carers to be participating independently and if this is the case, that person will not be allowed entry as a carer and will be expected to pay in full. Volunteer opportunities Nene Park Trust offers a range of volunteer opportunities. Our volunteer pages contain information about current vacanices and the contact details to discuss any specific access requirements.
Things to do at Orton Mere and Woodston Reach Expand Please note the following activities are run by partner organisations and do not operate at the Park full time. Please contact them in advance of a visit if you wish specifically to see or take part in this activity. Fishing Fishing rights at Orton Mere and Woodston Reach are operated by Peterborough and District Angling Assocation with day tickets and annual membership available. For further details and contact information visit our fishing page. Horse riding There are horse routes throughout the Park which are marked on posts with blue horseshoe signs. Horse riding lessons and short breaks for adults and children at the Park are provided by Lynch Farm Riding Ltd. For further details about riding in Nene Park and contact information visit our Ride a horse page. Nene Valley Railway The Nene Valley Railway is one of the best known standard gauge steam preservation railways in the country and home to that very special engine, Thomas. The railway runs between Wansford and Peterborough with two stations in Nene Park at Ferry Meadows (Overton) and Orton Mere. For further details and contact information visit our Nene Valley Railway page. Peterborough Model Power Boat Club The Peterborough Model Power Boat Club use Osier Lake at Orton Mere for their club activities. A tarmac path leads down to a gravel topped platform from where boats are operated. For further details and contact information visit our Clubs page. Proteus Canoe Club The club based at Orton Mere has direct access to the river and promotes all forms of paddle sports but specialises in Slalom. For further details and contact information visit our Clubs page.
Feedback on your visit to Orton Mere and Woodston Reach Expand Nene Park Access Forum Do you have an interest in access at Nene Park? Nene Park Trust holds a twice-yearly access forum to update park users about access improvements and to hear directly from visitors about their experiences of using the Park. We also make contact in between meetings to share information about access related developments including a regular Nene Park Access Forum newsletter. We welcome anyone with an interest or an experience to share. For more details, contact us. Feedback We are always keen to hear visitors’ experiences of the Park to continue to improve our services and you can provide this in a number of ways: Contact us directly Share your feedback with staff at the Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre Provide feedback online through TripAdvisor Join our Access Forum or Volunteers to become more involved in the development of the Park.