Gateway to Nature: Construction underway
By Dave Lewis, Director of Operations
Wittenham Clumps is a place that’s stayed with me over time. It reignited my own love of nature, and it continues to do that with every visit — a landscape full of history, rich habitats and far-reaching views, capable of inspiring, energising and restoring in equal measure.
Gateway to Nature is about opening up that experience, so more people can reach this landscape more easily and begin their own connection with the natural world.
From this autumn, visitors will arrive at the Wittenham Clumps visitor centre along a new access route from Sires Hill and park in a new linear parking area. A new cafe, created in an existing building on the site, will offer a welcome stop-off and provide a hub for visitor information.
What has happened so far?
Construction began in late April, and over the past few weeks we’ve started to see real progress taking shape on the ground.
Visitors will already have noticed some of the changes — areas of digging, soil being carefully moved, and materials arriving on site. The outline of the new track from Sires Hill is now visible, including passing bays, drainage and crossing points that will allow our farm vehicles to continue working safely across the site.
Alongside this, nature and habitat improvements have remained central to everything we’re doing. These plans are designed to support rare farmland birds and reptiles, helping their populations continue to grow across the land we manage.
Our volunteers have played a vital role here, carefully relocating great crested newts and toads away from construction areas. It’s a hands-on process, and a reminder of the care that sits behind even the earliest stages of work.
We’re also making thoughtful use of materials across the site. Wherever possible, we’re reusing and recycling, reducing what needs to leave the landscape. The soil currently sitting in large mounds will, in time, be shaped into new grassland for sheep to graze, alongside wildflower margins where bees and insects can thrive. What may look temporary now will gradually become part of the living landscape again.
What will visitors notice this summer?
Over the coming weeks, work will continue to move forward steadily. Our focus will turn towards completing the new linear car park where we currently have an old concrete farm track, connecting into the drainage system along Sires Hill, finishing the passing bays, and beginning to shape the soil mounds either side of the new track.
These early stages might still feel quite functional in places, but they are laying the groundwork for how the landscape will look and feel in the future — from grazing areas to wildflower habitats.
Visiting during construction
We know how important it is for people to continue enjoying Wittenham Clumps, even while this work is underway, and we’ve planned our events and activities carefully with that in mind.
Parking capacity remains limited during this phase, which means event numbers have been reduced to match the spaces available. As a result, some events have sold out more quickly than usual and we haven’t been able to offer waiting lists.
We also made the difficult decision to pause our much-loved Cocktails on the Clumps Solstice event this year. With construction traffic moving between Little Wittenham village and Sires Hill, we couldn’t guarantee safe access for the event. We know how popular it is, and we’re looking forward to bringing it back next year.
We’re very grateful for the patience and understanding people have shown so far. It really does make a difference as we work through this stage.
Looking ahead
I expect that the first visitors will begin using the new access track in September 2026. At that point, access to the Visitor Centre car park via the Hollow Way entrance in Little Wittenham village will close — an important step towards creating a safer, more intuitive arrival experience for everyone.
Gateway to Nature is about far more than new paths and facilities. At its heart, it builds on what Earth Trust has always set out to do: to inspire a lifelong connection with the natural world.
For me, it’s about seeing more people able to experience this place in ways that feel meaningful to them — whether that’s a first visit or one of many.
I’ll keep sharing news as the work progresses over the coming months, along with updates to our FAQs.