Greystones Farm

River Eye at Greystones (c) Mike Boyes
Greystones_drone
Greystones River Eye (c) Mark Cox

Greystones River Eye (c) Mark Cox

The ancient meadows and rivers of Greystones Farm are home to a diverse range of wildlife. This nature reserve is also the site of the Salmonsbury Camp, an important meeting place during Neolithic and Iron Age periods and a Scheduled Monument.

Location

Greystones Lane
Bourton-on-the-Water
GL54 2EN

OS Map Reference

SP172209
What3Words: bridge.piglet.allies
A static map of Greystones Farm

Know before you go

Size
66 hectares
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Entry fee

Free
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Parking information

No public parking

Walking trails

Greystones' Wildlife Walk and the Time-Travel Trail, while the Oxfordshire Way long-distance path runs through the reserve. Please note that there are no seats along the majority of the trails, although there is a bench by the river Eye.

Please stick to the designated paths throughout the reserve.

 

Access

The path from the farmyard to the replica Iron Age Roundhouse are suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
Greystones nature reserve is gently undulating and there are no steep sections. The walking trails are on level paths or on grassy tracks and there are no stiles to cross.

The meadows walk is closed during the wetter seasons of the year (Autumn, Winter and depending on water levels into Spring). This allows wildlife such as snipe to search for food undisturbed by people or dogs and the meadows to hold water without getting damaged by feet or people getting stuck in boggy ground.

Dogs

On a lead

We welcome responsible dog owners on the public rights of way and permissive paths. It is essential that dogs remain on leads to protect wildlife that is easily disturbed.

When to visit

Opening times

The nature reserve has open access throughout the year.

Best time to visit

May to September

About the reserve

This reserve combines several habitats: its wildflower-rich meadows are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Rivers Dikler and Eye both pass through the farm and their banks support a variety of species including otter and water vole. The old farm buildings are used by migratory birds such as swallows and house martins, along with owls and bats.

This nature reserve is also the site of the Salmonsbury Camp, an important meeting place during Neolithic and Iron Age periods and a Scheduled Monument.

Contact us

Environmental designation

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Parking information

There is no car park at Greystones Farm itself, visitors are asked to park in the village of Bourton-on-the-Water, just a 5-minute walk away.

The nearest public car park to the reserve is the car park at 7 Station Road, GL54 2AA.

More detailed directions

From Stow-on-the-Wold
Head south on Fosse Way/Roman Road/A429. After 3.1 miles turn left onto Station Road. Parking is available in the Station Road car park (pay and display) on your right, behind the petrol station. From here cross Station Road and turn left along the pavement. Then turn right onto the narrow lane between two houses (marked with a ‘no through road’ sign). Then turn left onto Greystones Lane and follow until you reach the farm.

From Cirencester
Take the Fosse Way/A429 north via Northleach. Bourton-on-the-Water is on the right hand side and signposted.

From Gloucester
Take the A417 to the Air Balloon roundabout then take the A436 through Andoversford which will lead you onto the A429. Head into the village on Station Road and Greystones can be found a couple of hundred yards before the coach park.

From Cheltenham
Take the A40 to Andoversford before joining the A436, eventually linking up with the A429 outside Bourton where Greystones can be found along Station Road heading into the village.

From Bristol
Head north on the M5 and exit at junction 11A. Follow the A417 and take the A436 towards Andoversford and follow the above instructions for Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Information for dog owners

While dogs are welcome, we ask dog owners to note that this is access land and this means that dogs must be kept on short leads (2 metres or less) between 1st March and 31st July (as stated in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000).

Please come along prepared to clean up after your dog - dog poo can cause sickness in people including the children who visit our site on school trips.
Three dog bins are installed around the reserve – two on the Cemetery Lane and one on the Moore Lane.

Greystones_Learning

Learning at Greystones Farm

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