Springwatch is back! The popular wildlife programme is returning on Monday May 25th, and it's set in a special location in Northern Ireland.
- How is Springwatch filmed? We go behind the scenes
- England’s red squirrels at serious risk of extinction due to North American invader
Where is Springwatch 2026 being filmed?
The latest series of Springwatch will be filmed in the woodlands and historic ruins of the National Trust's Crom estate on the shores of Lough Erne in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Presenters Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan will host the live show over three weeks, bringing audiences into Crom's wild world and sharing a range of seasonal stories from across the UK.
Meanwhile, Iolo Williams will be roving reporter, encountering wildlife in a range of wild and wonderful locations, including Knepp Estate in Sussex, Hampstead Heath in London and Bempton Cliffs in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Springwatch filming locations
Crom Estate, County Fermanagh
One of Northern Ireland's richest wildlife locations, the National Trust's Crom estate features flower-filled meadows and ancient woodlands alongside the glittering waters of Lough Erne. Springwatch 2026 will broadcast from this beautiful setting, marking the first time that Northern Ireland will be the main live location for the show (in the 2025 series, Iolo Williams hosted a nature trek across various locations, including Belfast, Rathlin Island and Mount Stewart).
Populated with rare red squirrels, dashing pine martens, aquatic otters, wild fallow deer, majestic birds of prey and magical woodland birds, Crom offers a wealth of wildlife to film over the course of the three-week series. Filming live for 24 hours a day, Springwatch will follow a cast of creatures as red squirrels dart through the trees, pine martens prowl the forest floor, otters explore the waterways and great-crested grebes glide the water. At night, badgers make an appearance while bats skim low over the lough.
Presenter Michaela Strachan said she is "very excited" to broadcast live from Northern Ireland.
"We never quite know what species will become our stars each year or what stories will emerge," she said. "That's what I love about Springwatch, the wildlife writes the script and every year there's a chapter we weren't expecting."
Strachan added: "I can't wait to see what plots Crom has in store for us. I'm hoping it hasn't planned for too much rain in the script."
Designed by WS Gilpin in the 19th century, the stunning landscape of the 2,000-acre estate includes ancient woodland, wild islands, historic cottages and the remains of Old Crom Castle, a ruined 17th-century towerhouse.
Gemma Carson, general manager at National Trust Crom, said she is delighted to bring viewers into the heart of the Fermanagh landscape.
"Wildlife is woven into every part of Crom, with red squirrels and pine martens in the canopy, fallow deer grazing the parkland, and otters along the water's edge," she said. "In spring, the meadows come alive with butterflies, bees and dragonflies, making it one of the most vibrant and biodiverse places in Northern Ireland."
Rosemary Edwards, executive producer of Springwatch, said: “Having a main Springwatch base in Northern Ireland has long been an ambition and so it is thrilling that it is finally happening this year. Crom Estate is special because of its great variety of species. We’re hoping to see red squirrels, pine martens, badgers, house martins, and swifts as well as raptors and an impressive array of woodland, hedgerow, and reed nesting birds. And the dramatic vistas that Crom offers is guaranteeing this will be a stunning series.”
Other Springwatch locations
Iolo Williams will explore several sites over the course of the three-week series, broadcasting live from a different location each week.
Week 1 - Knepp Estate, West Sussex
In the first week, Iolo will visit the successful rewildling project Knepp Estate in West Sussex. Nature has been left to its own devices at this former intensive farm, and the results are extraordinary - turtle doves shelter in thick scrub, nightingales sing a song of spring, the land has become a mosaic of grassland, wetland and woodland, and white storks have returned to nest and breed in the area.
Week 2 - Live from London
Iolo will go in search of the capital's wildlife, finding unexpected treasures in Hampstead Heath, the Natural History Museum, Ealing and the Royal Parks.
Week 3 - Bempton Cliffs, East Riding of Yorkshire
THE place for seabirds, Bempton Cliffs offers a crashing seascape of chalk cliffs and open sea, where hundreds of thousands of seabirds nest on ledges. Iolo sets out to spot gannets, kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills as they battle for survival against the elements.
Find out more about some of your favourite TV shows and presenters
- Sir David Attenborough’s greatest programmes: Inside the landmark wildlife series that created a global icon
- How tall is David Attenborough?
- Who is Michaela Strachan? Everything you need to know about the Springwatch presenter
- Who is Chris Packham? Everything you need to know about the Springwatch presenter
- Who is Steve Backshall? Everything you need to know about the naturalist and wildlife presenter
