The RSPB has announced that its shop at Darts Farm, near Topsham in Exeter, will permanently close next month after 18 years. The charity said the decision comes after a careful review of all its sites across the UK, with rising costs and overheads making the shop unsustainable. The store is located upstairs above Cotswold Outdoor and overlooks the Clyst Valley and farmland surrounded by wetlands that are home to an impressive variety of wildlife.

The saltmarsh and mudflats of the River Clyst are particularly rich with waterbirds, making the location ideal for visitors keen to observe nature up close. Darts Farm wrote about the RSPB shop on its website: "We are thrilled to have RSPB here at Darts Farm. The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. Nature is amazing - help us keep it that way!"

Natalie Holt, RSPB Exe Estuary reserves site manager, said: "The RSPB constantly reviews its work across the UK to maximise our impact for nature with the resources we have available.

"As a charity, it is essential that we generate income to fund our work. We cannot afford to subsidise loss making facilities at the expense of our important charitable and strategic aims, especially at a time when nature and climate are in crisis.

"Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of staff and volunteers, rising costs and overheads means that the shop is no longer making a profit, and not raising the money we need to fund our vital nature conservation work.

"This means that, regrettably, we will be closing the RSPB shop at Darts Farm on 15 March 2026."

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She added: "We are ensuring we support all staff who are directly affected by this change. We also hope that our valued volunteers at Darts Farm would like to join us with other areas of our work locally and we are exploring this with them.

"We would like to express our wholehearted thanks to our staff and volunteers, past and present, and the many thousands of people who have visited our shop over the years."

Darts Farm is a family-run working farm with a thriving shopping village and nature reserve. Its wetlands are home to diverse wildlife, including Linnets, Fieldfares, Redwings, dragonflies, Skylarks, and Kingfishers. Visitors can explore the farm and its surroundings on foot or by bike, including nearby RSPB reserves at Bowling Green Marsh and Goosemoor.

In 2025, Darts Farm was named the UK's Best Farm Shop for the fourth time at the Farm Retail Association (FRA) Awards. The venue also received the award for Best Farm Restaurant for The Farm Table which serves fresh, seasonal and local Devon produce.