Attenborough Nature Reserve, Nottingham

I had picked up a flier for a nature park in Nottingham next to the river Trent. There were a number of trails through the park, but I had my eye on the circumference which merged two of them.

The approach was down a single track road after an retail park, however it opened up to a large carpark, close to a modern centre buildign overlooking a large pond/ lake.

Leaving the car park and heading to the top of the reserve we followed a trail into the woods. This soon opened out on both sides to ponds.

Bertie was keen to jump in but the geese had other ideas, and he had to wait for another opportunity.

The initial impressions of gravel beaches and clear ponds soon changed as we continued along the enclosed track between the wetlands areas, and the next time it opened out the water was full of weed, and very green.  Bertie still had to wait.

This was a vision for the whole walk, where the sides of the track were enclosed with bushes and as you walked along there was occasional glimpses of the ponds. when the shrubs cleared a little.

As if to prove a point the next opening showed clearer water, and also a shelving beach for Bertie to take a dip.

An odd section followed, as we actually left the nature reserve to take a road through Attenborough village, past the cricket pitch, bowling club and various other sports facilities, then back into the wetlands.

Crossing a bridge, moved away from the wetlands into more scrub, and the track cuts up to a main rail line. At the same time it became more of a vehicle track, and met a footpath after it had crossed the rails. The combined trail then dived back into the wetlands.

This trail led across to the river Trent ...  which was glimpsed through the same occasional clearances as with the wetland ponds, on the other side.

At a footbridge where the wetlands connected to the river, Bertie took a chance to clean up from the muddy dips he had taken into the wetlands.

From the bridge we could see an expansive view over the wetlands pond here.

The trail continued along the banks of the river Trent, although there were much more openings to the river than the wetlands on this section, and some good views down to the power station.

the trail wound in and out of the bends in the river, passing an island - there were huge motorway like signs at each end to guide the river traffic around one side of it

At around two thirds way around there was a junction in the trails, and we could have returned to the car park, however we continued along side the river, on the second of the loop trails. 

Another bridge opened out views both sides ...  green slime on one but boat restoration of a Dunkirk rescue boat on the other side of the river.

Continuing along a short stretch to the point where we cut off around the bottom of the nature reserve.

Here the wetlands gave over to fields or open pasture, as we headed back to the railway line.

Following the railway along a vehicle track beside the pasture in an almost straight line. The only change was crossing what looked like an old bailey bridge

The last section alongside the largest of the ponds, and around back to the visitors centre ,,,, visible across the water

Back at the visitors centre  ,,,  one side looked to the power station, the other to the car park - but more interesting especially for Bertie was the ice cream van. Although he had competition from the geese and ducks, clamouring for visitor feeding.