Willington Wetlands

Willington Nature Reserve by George Bird

Willington Nature Reserve by George Bird

Bittern, Elliott Neep

Bittern, Elliott Neep

Willington Gravel Pits, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

Willington Gravel Pits, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust 

Willington Wetlands Nature Reserve

(C) George Bird

Emperor Dragonfly, Tony Pioli

Emperor Dragonfly, Tony Pioli

Willington Wetlands

This former gravel quarry in the Trent Valley is home to the first beavers back in Derbyshire after 800 years, they enjoy over 40 hectares of wetland habitat, within a special beaver-proof fence. The wetlands are also teeming with bird life all year round, dragonflies and damselflies are plentiful here too. 

Location

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Willington Wetlands is situated down an unmade lane (Meadow Lane) which comes off the Repton road just before the bridge over the River Trent.
Willington, Derby
Derbyshire
DE65 6PD

OS Map Reference

SK 2913 2761
A static map of Willington Wetlands

Know before you go

Size
44 hectares
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Entry fee

No
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Parking information

All visitors are recommended to park in the free DCC car park next to the Dragon pub in the village - about a 10/15 minute walk into the reserves.
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Grazing animals

Yes
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Access

All visitors are recommended to park in the free DCC car park next to the Dragon pub in the village and walk down to the nature reserve.

The best way to get to the reserve is by public transport:

  • The Trentbarton V3 bus between Derby and Burton passes the reserve's entrance. Get off at the Willington Road stop and walk down the track to the entrance.
  • Willington train station is on the line between Derby and Burton. There are hourly services stopping at Willington from both Derby and Burton with Cross Country trains, as well as trains from further afield locations such as Nottingham and Birmingham. There is a 10 minute walk from the station to the reserve.

There is a small public car park in the village of Willington, from which there is a 10-15 minute walk to the reserve. Please use this car park, rather than parking on residential streets.

There is no official parking at the reserve. Please keep the track between the road and entrance to the reserve clear, it is in 24 hour use for access for livestock and neighbouring landowners.

Access to the reserve is limited to the main track and the viewing platforms provided. Meadow Lane is accessible to mobility scooters in dry conditions, but please note that there are eight steps leading up to the second and third viewing platforms. The first platform and the bird hide are accessible to all. 

Please Note:

The site is accessible; however, as it is a wetland, consideration of footwear is needed, especially during autumn and winter, when the ground retains high water levels. The nature reserve is located within Flood Zone 3; therefore, the site is inaccessible at times during extreme weather conditions.

Dogs

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Facilities

Bird hides

When to visit

Opening times

Open all year

Best time to visit

This former gravel quarry is teeming with bird life all year round, from ducks in winter to sand martins and common terns in summer.

About the reserve

This former sand and gravel quarry provides a haven for wildlife in the Trent Valley.

The flooded gravel pits form an important wetland habitat attracting many rare birds in addition to a variety of more common species.

The reserve is particularly important for its wetland habitats, from open water to reed bed. Beavers now call Willington home, thanks to a beaver reintroduction that took place in September 2021 following years of planning. Beavers are a special species that can play a particularly crucial role. As they go about their day to day life shaping the wetlands for their own benefit, they have a huge impact on the surrounding areas.  By digging canal systems and damming water courses, they create diverse wetland areas and homes for other animals such as otters, water voles and water shrews. If you would like to visit to try and spot the beavers, please follow our guidelines here. You can also read more about the project here.

The shingle and grass islands provide a refuge for birds and are ideal for breeding waders.

The reed along the edges of the pools and in the old silt lagoon is home to a range of species and the grassland and duck marsh provide rich feeding for many species and breeding cover for others.

All year round the reserve is rich in bird life. In winter, large flocks of wildfowl gather, including wigeon, teal, pochard and shoveler.

In early spring, curlew gather on the wet grassland before they head north to their breeding grounds. During spring and autumn up to 20 species of wader pass through. Among the birds that breed at Willington are sand martins, lapwings and common tern.

Birds of prey also visit the reserve - these include peregrine, kestrel, hobby and sparrowhawk, as well as the very occasional marsh harrier. In recent winters, bittern has been seen at the reserve.

In addition to birds, Willington's wetlands also attract several species of dragonfly and damselfy as well as otters. The conditions suit water plants such as short-leaved water starwort.

Contact us

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
Contact number: 01773 881188