Tucklesholme - Burton | Staffordshire Wildlife Trust

Tucklesholme is a former gravel pit which is being restored back to a wetland habitat. It provides a home for a number of key breeding bird species that specialise in this open wetland environment.

Location

Just off Station Lane

Burton-on-Trent

DE13 8EN

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Know before you go

Size

55 hectares

Parking information

The car park is locked in evenings - please check the signs in the car park for seasonal closing times. Restricted access due to height barrier

Grazing animals

Walking trails

Accessible flat but rugged tracks are present and kissing gates which open with radar gates.

There are two viewing screens which are marked on the map on the interpretation board.

Please stay on the tracks.

Access

The reserve car park is just off Station Lane to the east of the A38 in the direction of Walton-on-Trent. Nearest postcode is DE13 8EN.

When walking round the site, please stay on the tracks.

The car park is locked in evenings - please see opening times and check the signs in the car park for seasonal closing times.

Dogs

On a lead

Please stay on the tracks.

Facilities

Bird hides

Accessible trails

When to visit

Opening times

Open all year round.

Winter
1st October - 31st March: The reserve car park is locked promptly at 5pm and opens at 8am.

Summer
1st April - 30th Sept: The reserve car park is locked promptly at 7pm and opens at 8am.

Best time to visit

Best time to visit is spring for breeding waders and winter for overwintering wildfowl.

About the reserve

Tucklesholme is one of a network of current and former quarries within the ‘Transforming the Trent Valley’ landscape. The vision is for this to become one of the great connected wetland areas in the UK.

In 2018 quarrying operations ended at Tucklesholme and the transformation from quarry to nature reserve began. Over the next few years you will see the reedbed in the northern lake expand to become the largest in the Trent Valley. The exposed sandy shingles on the southern lake provide valuable nesting habitat to rare birds such as little ringed plover and oystercatcher, while the wet grassland areas offer the perfect spot for lapwing to raise their young. The reserve was opened to the public on 17th May 2019.

Learn all about how SWT transformed Tucklesholme into a nature reserve here or delve into our news article archives here