Brockholes (nature reserve) facts for kids
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Brockholes is a special nature reserve located near Preston in Lancashire, England. It's easy to find, just off Junction 31 of the M6 motorway. The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside owns and looks after this amazing place.
Brockholes sits in the floodplain of the river Ribble. This means it's in an area that can sometimes be covered by river water. What makes it super unique is that it has the UK's very first floating visitor village!
This area used to be a big quarry where materials were dug out of the ground. The Wildlife Trust bought the land in January 2007. After a lot of hard work, the reserve opened to the public at Easter in 2011. It has been changed into a mix of different natural areas. These include pools, reedbeds, and woodland.
Brockholes is designed for everyone, not just expert bird-watchers or nature lovers. It's a great place for families and people from nearby cities to explore. You can see lots of interesting plants, like tall ferns and bright Himalayan balsam, growing along the riverbank.
The reserve offers many fun events all year round. There are over 250 acres of trails and special hides where you can watch wildlife. Brockholes has already seen many wading birds nesting there. You might even spot visitors like osprey, otters, and bitterns!
The Floating Visitor Village
In July 2007, a special competition was held to design new buildings for Brockholes. Adam Khan Architects won this competition. They worked with other experts to create the amazing plans. Building work started in 2009.
The result is the Brockholes Visitor Village. It is the first visitor centre in the UK that actually floats on water! This village has shops where you can buy souvenirs. There's also an exhibition area to learn more about nature.
The village includes an activity room for schools and community groups. This is a great space for learning and workshops. You can also find a restaurant to grab a bite to eat. Plus, there's a conference centre for meetings and events.
The floating village has won several important awards. In 2012, it received a special award for being very sustainable from the Civic Trust Awards. It also won the "Commercial & Public Access" category in the 2011 Wood Awards. This shows how well it was designed and built.
