Attenborough Nature Reserve

Attenborough Nature Reserve lies eight kilometres south-west of Nottingham city centre in Nottinghamshire. It sits where the River Erewash meets the River Trent, on land once worked for gravel between 1929 and 1967. The reserve now covers 145 hectares of lakes, wetland, grassland and scrub. It forms part of a larger Site of Special Scientific Interest that stretches westwards to the county boundary. Five main ponds—Church Pond, Clifton Pond, Main Pond, Tween Pond and Beeston Pond—dot the landscape alongside drier meadows such as Corbetts Meadow and Erewash Field. The reserve is important for wintering and breeding birds. More than 250 bird species have been recorded since 1966, including nationally rare visitors like the penduline tit, squacco heron, purple heron and sora. Sir David Attenborough opened the reserve in 1966 and returned in 2005 to open the Attenborough Nature Centre. The centre won a gold award for eco-tourism and was listed by BBC Wildlife among the top ten eco-places in the world. Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust manages the site with support from Broxtowe Borough Council. Visitors find the Attenborough Nature Centre with its shop, refreshments and car park on Barton Lane. The building sits beside the ponds and is surrounded by walking paths. Two public bird hides overlook the wetlands, giving clear views of waterfowl and rare species. The landscape includes native willow and woodland, wetland scrapes and open grassland. The gravel pits themselves remain active nearby, while former workings are restored to wetland year by year.