Idle Valley Nature Reserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Idle Valley Nature Reserve |
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Bug Arch at the entrance of the nature reserve, with Bellmoor Lake in the distance.
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| Location | Retford, Nottinghamshire, England |
| Area | 320 hectares (790 acres) |
| Created | 2002 |
| Operated by | Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust |
| Status | SSSI (for map see Map) |
The Idle Valley Nature Reserve is a really special place for wildlife. It's also called Lound Gravel Pits. This amazing wetland area is found near Retford in north Nottinghamshire, England. It sits along the River Idle. The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust looks after this important reserve. It's a great spot to explore nature!
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A Look Back: How Idle Valley Began
The many lakes you see at the reserve were made over 70 years. This happened because companies dug out gravel and other materials from the ground. Since 1981, a company called Tarmac Limited did this work.
Later, Tarmac decided to give all its land here to the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. In 2002, a group called Natural England officially named this area a "Site of Special Scientific Interest" (SSSI). This means it's a very important place for nature.
In 2008, the Idle Valley Learning Centre opened. Here, students can study environmental conservation. The nature reserve also received £1 million in Lottery funding that year. This money helped build paths and fences. It also helped clear land to make it better for wildlife. In 2011, Tarmac even won an award for their great work on the reserve.
More recently, in 2017, a new boardwalk was built. This makes it easier for everyone to get around the visitor centre. This project was a team effort between the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and the Rotary club of Retford.
Exploring the Size of Idle Valley
This nature reserve is huge! It stretches over 3 miles from top to bottom. It covers more than 450 hectares of land. To give you an idea, that's like 1,100 football fields!
It is the biggest wetland area in all of Nottinghamshire. It's also the 5th largest "Site of Special Scientific Interest" (SSSI) in the county. The SSSI part of the reserve covers 320 hectares.
Visiting Idle Valley Nature Reserve
Getting to Idle Valley Nature Reserve is easy! It's right next to the A638 road. Buses even stop just outside the reserve. You can also find many public paths that cross through the reserve. One path goes around most of Bellmoor Lake.
The reserve is open every day of the year. You can visit for free! However, visitors are asked to donate a small amount if they use the car park. You can enter the main part of the reserve from the visitor centre. You can also walk to the northern end from the visitor centre. Or, you can get there from Lound village.
The visitor centre and shop are open daily. They are only closed on Christmas Day. Most of the reserve and its buildings are wheelchair accessible. But, some areas can get muddy. These muddy spots might not be suitable for wheelchairs at certain times.
Amazing Animals and Plants
Birds of Idle Valley
Idle Valley Nature Reserve is home to many different kinds of birds. Lots of wetland birds come here to breed. It also has a very important number of gadwall ducks in winter. These ducks are just one of 17 types of wildfowl you can see here regularly.
Some of the birds that breed here include shoveler ducks, great crested grebes, and tufted ducks. You might also spot some less common breeding birds like wigeon and pochard. Many wading birds also breed here. These include lapwing, Eurasian oystercatcher, little ringed plover, and redshank. In winter, a huge number of coot gather on the gravel pits.
Overall, 259 different bird species have been seen at this site! Some of these are very rare birds for the country. For example, a gull-billed tern was seen in 2015. A blue-winged teal and a lesser scaup were spotted in 2014.
