The Walmsley Sanctuary was acquired by the Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society in 1939. The Sanctuary is highly regarded by many members and is undoubtedly one of the best bird-watching sites in Cornwall.
There are two existing bird hides at the Walmsley Sanctuary, the Tower Hide and the Corner Hide, with a third bird hide on the adjoining Middle Amble Reserve which is jointly owned with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
The existing Corner Hide, which was installed in 1991, has become increasingly weather-worn and the Society has now applied for planning permission to replace this hide.

The new hide would be a similar design to the recently installed Middle Amble hide. It is hoped that the new hide would be installed in autumn 2026, in conjunction with excavation work to increase the area of open water in front of this new hide.

We have now applied to Cornwall Council for planning permission to construct the replacement hide. It would be beneficial if members could support the planning application by visiting the Cornwall Council online planning website, quoting planning application PA26/04515, and stating why they feel the replacement hide would not have an unacceptable impact and why it would be an important feature of the Walmsley Sanctuary. You will need to register or login to the online planning website – but the process is very quick and you will hopefully be helping to ensure that the Society can build a new hide at the Sanctuary in Autumn 2026.