Williamthorpe Local Nature Reserve (LNR)
Come and visit one of our newest local nature reserves, Williamthorpe is a great place for bird watching, wildflowers and generally enjoying the countryside.
The ponds and reed beds are a wildlife haven nestling in maturing woodland and hidden from the surrounding bustle of industry.
How to find us
You will find this nature reserve on the Five Pits Trail close to junction 29 on the M1.
Parking
Off the Mansfield Road, between Temple Normanton and Heath (Ordnance Survey grid ref SK431 671)
What makes Williamthorpe so special?
The largest pond is constantly filled with water pumped from disused collieries in the area.
This keeps the water temperature at 16 degrees centigrade and means that even when the weather is coldest it rarely freezes − a real bonus for visiting winter birds.
There have been over 200 different species of bird recorded on site!
So what might you see?
Teal, Tufted Duck and Pochard are regular visitors and occasionally we are lucky enough to spot Jack Snipe and Water Rail.
Throughout the year you should see a pair of our largest birds, the Mute Swans. They regularly nest and raise their young here.
Hidden in the reed beds, one of the largest in Derbyshire, you might catch a lucky glimpse of Sedge or Reed Warblers who nest here.
Late spring, take a break on the seat in the grassland area and you will find a beautiful swath of southern marsh and common spot orchids.
In the evening, just after dusk, you are almost certain to see some of our smallest mammals. Pipistrelle, Daubenton's and Noctule bats have all been seen hunting for insects along the trail edges and around the ponds.
Look for the illustrated map in the related documents below to help find your way around the reserve.
Bird hide
Keys for the bird hide are available for a small deposit from Clay Cross Countryside Centre
From the reserve, you can follow the Five Pits Trail, walking, cycling or horse riding, and explore more of our local countryside.
You can join the Chesterfield Round Walk (opens in a new window) from Williamthorpe and complete all or part of this 34 mile walking route that has spectacular views of Chesterfield.
Fishing
Williamthorpe Angling Club manage fishing on the ponds.
The ponds are available for fishing all year round with the exception of pond one, this closes from 16 March to 16 July.
Day tickets (£5) are available from the bailiffs. For membership information please contact:
The Secretary, John Lewis
Seanor Lane
Lower Pilsley
Chesterfield
S45 8DQ
Facilities available
- Footpath
- Bridleway/Horseriding trail
- Picnic area
- Woodland with public access
- Wildlife area
- Museum
- Light refreshments
- Parking
- Toilets
- Easy access for all
- On-site information
- Camping/Caravan site
- Children's play area
- Gardens
- Nature trail
- Events area
- Cycle path
Contact details
- Address
- Unknown
- Telephone
- Call Derbyshire 08 456 058 058
- countrysideservice@derbyshire.gov.uk
Related documents
The following document is in Portable Document Format (PDF). You can download the PDF software for free from the Adobe website (opens in a new window)