The London Wetland Centre (officially titled the WWT London Wetland Centre) is an amazing wildlife centre in Barnes, South-West London. Spread over 42 hectares, the London Wetland Centre is one of the most popular London wildlife attractions with nature-loving visitors.
The centre allows visitors to enjoy a rich variety of wildlife that have made their home here. The centre has enjoyed so much acclaim that it has been awarded the prestigious title of a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’.
The WWT London Wetland Centre is run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and is home to hundreds of different species. Here you’ll find birds, bats, amphibians, butterflies and grass snakes, set amongst a beautiful blend of meadows, lakes, reedbeds and ponds. There are attractions to maintain kids’ interest too, including an adventure area. The Peacock Tower and six other viewing hides allow visitors to gaze out at the wondrous wildlife.
Things to do for kids at London Wetland Centre
- Playground Adventure Area with classic slides and climbing frames as well as zip lines and water games
- Pond Zone where kids can pick up a net and fish for small insects and look at them through the microscope afterwards
- While we encourage everyone to stay out in nature, there is an inside discovery centre with lots of interactive elements
- Enjoy watching the playful otters being fed
- Go for a wild walk balancing over logs and crossing a shaky rope bridge
- Bring a camera and see how many different types of ducks you can take photos of
- Bring your binoculars and set up camp in one of the six hides where you can watch wildlife undisturbed from a distance
- Season events such as Santa’s Grotto during Christmas
WWT helping to protect rare ducks
The Wetland Centre is very much engaged in conserving rare ducks species. After launching a conservation project to secure the world’s rarest duck, the Fotsaimaso Pochard in Madagascar, they hit the first milestone in 2020; 12 adorable ducklings were sighted on Lake Sofia in Madagascar produced by pochards released in the wild just one year earlier.
Reintroduced animals normally take a while to settle into their new site, and first breeding attempts are often unsuccessful, so this is a wholly unexpected but very welcome development. It took several years for the local communities around the lake to give this project to restore the lake and reintroduce pochards their endorsement. Now the ducks have given it their endorsement too!
WWT’s Project Manager Peter Cranswick
If you enjoy watching ducks, London Wetland Centre is the right place to go. You’ll find a wide variety of ducks around the nature reserve, so make sure to bring your binoculars and zoom in with your camera to get some nice shots. Here are a few examples of ducks you can find:
Tufted Duck 
Smew 
White-Faced Whistling Duck 
Wood Duck 
Red-Crested Pochard 
Shoveler Duck
Some of the most interesting species to be viewed at the London Wetland Centre include ring-necked parakeets, sand martins, great bitterns, kingfishers and great crested grebes. Each winter you will see flocks of wigeon, gadwall and shovelor. In summertime expect to see redshank and lapwing. All in all, a nature lover’s paradise and a welcome alternative to the hustle and bustle of many tourist attractions in London.
Key Information London Wetland Centre
- Paid entry
- Outdoor
- Type: Park
- Borough: Richmond upon Thames
- Area: South West London
- Tube: Barnes Railway Station
- Nearby: Richmond Park
- WWT webpage