Lightwood

Once home to a reservoir supplying drinking water to Buxton residents, now Lightwood is a haven for a wide variety of wildlife on the edge of town. A mix of woodland, wetlands, meadows and moorland fringe it’s a fantastic space to wander and soak in the natural surroundings.

Location

Lightwood Rd, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6RN

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Know before you go

Size

40 hectares

Entry fee

None

Parking information

Park on the side of Lightwood Road near the end of the tarmac road (W3W///seabirds.shuttered.desks) and continue on foot straight ahead as the road turns into a gravel track.

Walking trails

Several concessionary footpaths through the center, around the perimeter of the reserve and out to the wider landscape.

Access

Short and relatively level walks can be enjoyed through the center of the site around the ponds and along the brook and in the old spillway. There are plenty of alternative steep slopes to explore away from the wetlands

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

Open all the time

Best time to visit

Anytime, all seasons show something different! A warm summer day, the meadows awash with the colours of wildflowers and buzz with sound of busy insects.

About the reserve

Lightwood is an area rich in wildlife that is enjoyed by the local community. Owned by Nestlé Waters UK since 2016 and now managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, it is home to a spring water source bottled at the nearby Nestlé Waters factory as Nestlé Pure Life.

This small valley on the slopes of Combs Moss previously held two reservoirs, built in the mid 1800’s, that supplied drinking water for the town. These were decommissioned in 2006 and the valley returned to its natural state. Lightwood today is very important for wildlife. Its rich mosaic of nationally important habitats including woodland, moorland, flower-rich grassland, marsh, ponds and streams, support a wide variety of wildlife; many birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects and plants are found here.

Species

Habitat

With technology powered by video specialists Ace Nature and records collated by The Derbyshire Biological Records Centre (DRBC), hosted by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, anyone can now digitally discover the diverse habitats and wildlife of the Lightwood Nature Reserve in Buxton from anywhere in the world: