Attenborough Nature Reserve

Attenborough Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Broxtowe covering about 220 hectares of lakes and islands that formed from past gravel extraction. The landscape sits along the River Trent and features several marked walking routes of varying lengths.

The site was established in 1966 following the end of gravel mining in the area. The abandoned extraction pits gradually filled with water and attracted wildlife, transforming the industrial landscape into protected wetlands.

The reserve is a place where visitors experience the return of wildlife to a landscape shaped by industrial use. Walking the paths, you notice how water birds have made their homes in different zones across the wetlands.

The reserve has three main walking routes of different lengths, and a Nature Centre provides information and rest facilities. The paths are accessible to most visitors, though some sections can be muddy depending on recent rainfall.

The delta sanctuary contains one of the region's largest willow woodlands where all three British woodpecker species nest and breed. This wooded area often goes unnoticed by many visitors who focus only on the water trails.