Nottinghamshire - Derbyshire Border.
Attenborough Nature Reserve
Description:
Very close to the car park is a wide, well
constructed, railed platform, across one of the
lakes, to a visitors centre, with café and
toilets suitable for wheelchair access. The
centre includes a nice shop with books, posters,
bird feeders/food etc. Also nearby, is a bridge
over a narrow junction between 2 of the lakes.
The path to the bridge is a little worn and
steep, but is very wide, and only a short push
for a wheelchair. This is the best route to good
footpaths along the river Trent. Another,
totally flat footpath at the other end of the
car park can also give access to the rest of the
reserve. There is a good, large bird hide, with
easy wheelchair access, on the way to the river,
a few hundred yards beyond the bridge. The very
best paths are a few yards beyond the bird hide.
You can turn left or right when you reach the
river, though the right turn (West) is generally
quieter. A few bikes come along the path, but it
is very wide. You will rarely, if ever, find the
reserve visited by “rude people, up to
mischief.” These paths run for several miles in
both directions, and have small metal seats to
take a rest occasionally. This is the best place
to spot a very good range of warblers, as well
as waterfowl, terns etc on the lakes. If you
stay on this route, it is absolutely flat. If
you can manage slightly rougher surfaces, and
brief steep inclines over arched bridges, you
can occasionally take paths away from the river.
To the east, along the river takes you to the
oldest part of the ex-gravel pits, where lots of
willow/alder woodland has developed. At the East
end of the reserve there is a riverside Café
near to the locks onto the Beeston canal. If you
went in a westerly direction along the river,
the paths are newer, as are the flooded gravel
pits – but still very good birding, with no need
for hides, and very good views from the path.
Lots of farmland, (including set-aside)
alongside lakes encourages lots of finches,
buntings etc. You can progress beyond the limits
of the reserve, to the next point where a canal
joins the river. There is a good boat club with
moorings, cheap beer, and a picnic table. Very
quiet and civilised. A small kissing gate is the
only limit to progressing still further, and
under the main rail line to Loughborough. I have
described a very long expedition, but one I do
weekly on my mobility scooter, and with a few
diversions, cover more than 10 miles. You can
take much shorter walks of a few hundred yards
from the visitors centre and still get a good
range of habitats/birds.
Directions:
Directions. From
Nottingham, take the A6005 towards Beeston and
Long Eaton. As you leave Beeston, turn left onto
Barton Lane, which leads into a Retail park. At
the roundabout, go straight ahead, beyond the
retail park, crossing a level crossing, and very
quickly reaching a large car park, with lots of
disabled parking. Other routes give quick access
from the M1 J25. (Very close, but a route from
the West which I am less familiar with.)
Entrance is free, but you are
expected to make a token gesture, and put a
small sum of money in a metal box, for the
parking.
