How Attenborough Became a Nature Reserve
A successful objection to filling gravel pits helped establish Attenborough Nature Reserve in 1966. Extraction, conservation and eventual ownership followed different timelines.
Published
Attenborough became a nature reserve in 1966, after a campaign to prevent its gravel pits being filled with power-station ash. Yet gravel extraction continued until 2017. Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, the conservation charity that manages the reserve, describes a history in which industrial working and wildlife protection overlapped for decades.[2][3]
The reserve’s establishment, the Nature Centre’s opening and the purchase of the land were separate events. Following those distinctions explains how former workings became protected habitat, and why opening a reserve did not settle its ownership.[2][3]
Before the Gravel Pits
Before extraction, the area contained wet meadows, former river channels and other wet ground. In its history of Attenborough, the Trust describes grazing and hay meadows that supported wetland and farmland birds. Wildlife habitat existed here before the quarrying began, although the water-filled workings would create a different arrangement of habitats.[3]
Large-scale commercial gravel extraction started in 1929, with materials transported by barge. Excavation produced islands, including some submerged seasonally, and left habitats at different stages of development. The Trust records natural regeneration in completed lagoons and says the wider habitat has largely recolonised naturally.[3]
That helps explain the reserve’s origins: human activity created the pits, while plants and wildlife established themselves in the resulting habitats. Conservation depended on recognising the value of those developing wetlands before another use displaced them.[3]
The Ash Proposal That Prompted a Campaign
In 1965, the Central Electricity Generating Board, the electricity body behind the proposal, applied to fill Attenborough Gravel Pits with pulverised fly ash from the nearby power station. By then, fishermen and birdwatchers were already using the pits.[3]
One person who recognised their wildlife potential was university zoology lecturer Dr Tony Kent, who visited with students. Kent represented the conservation organisation then called the Nottinghamshire Trust for Nature Conservation, now Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, in opposing the scheme.[3]
The Trust’s chronology records discussions involving Beeston and Stapleford Urban District Council, the Trent River Board, the county planning department and the electricity board. It credits Kent’s case and the planning department’s acceptance of it with helping stop the proposal. The account records planning refusal and the withdrawal of the application, with the ash subsequently taken to Peterborough.[3]
Attenborough became the Trust’s first nature reserve in 1966. David Attenborough, then controller of BBC2, performed the opening and received honorary life membership of the Trust. The operator’s history estimates that about 500 people attended.[3]
Management Continued Alongside Extraction
The opening established the reserve, but commercial extraction continued. The Trust dates the completion of sand and gravel extraction to 2017, more than half a century after the opening ceremony.[3]
A management agreement followed in 1970, replacing an expired lease. It created a Joint Management Committee with representatives from the Trust and the new owners, RMC Aggregates Ltd, a subsidiary of Ready-Mixed Concrete, alongside observers from relevant official bodies.[3]
This arrangement gave conservation management a place alongside the landowner. It also explains an easily missed distinction in Attenborough’s history: the Trust was managing the reserve long before it bought the land.[2][3]
From a Volunteer Caravan to the Nature Centre
Early visitors were welcomed by volunteers at a caravan near the village. It served as a meeting point for guided walks and workdays, somewhere to report bird sightings and a place to pick up a nature-trail guide.[3]
Formal plans for an education facility developed during the 1980s. Sir David Attenborough viewed the designs in 1988, but the Nature Centre opened in March 2005. That later opening expanded the Trust’s capacity for educational activities, decades after the reserve itself had been established.[3]
There is a family connection behind Sir David’s involvement, too. In a contribution published in the Trust’s My Attenborough collection, he explains that his father and grandfather were born nearby, accounting for the family surname, and recalls being invited to open both the reserve and the visitor centre.[1]
Buying the Land Came Later
After extraction ended in 2017, negotiations with the owners led to an opportunity in 2019 to buy the reserve for £1 million. The Trust’s history credits thousands of supporters and Biffa Award with helping secure its future. The 2019 milestone was the purchase opportunity, rather than completed ownership.[3]
The Trust’s reserve information dates the land purchase to December 2020. Its account of angling rights confirms that those rights transferred with the purchase, providing a concrete example of what changed when the conservation manager became the owner.[2]
Ownership still leaves decisions about how the land should be managed. In its November 2025 explanation of suspended angling, the Trust described discussions about reducing fishing spots to support wildlife objectives, while leaving open the possibility of limited angling returning. Attenborough’s history continues through such decisions about the use of the former workings.[2]
Sources and checks
These sources were used for this article. Availability, prices and service details can change after the stated check date.
- My Attenborough | Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Checked 20 October 2026.
In his contribution to the Trust’s My Attenborough collection, Sir David Attenborough connects his surname with his father and grandfather having been born nearby. Sir David recalls being invited to open both the reserve and the visitor centre.
- Attenborough Nature Centre and Reserve | Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Checked 20 October 2026.
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity managing the reserve for wildlife. The land purchase took place in December 2020. Angling rights transferred to the Trust with the purchase. The November 2025 angling explanation describes proposed reductions in fishing spots and the possibility of limited angling returning.
- History of Attenborough | Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Checked 20 October 2026.
Before extraction, the area included wet meadows and former river channels, with grazing and hay meadows supporting wetland and farmland birds. Commercial gravel extraction began in 1929, used barge transport and created islands and habitats at different stages of development. The Trust describes natural regeneration in completed lagoons and largely natural recolonisation of the habitat. In 1965, the Central Electricity Generating Board proposed filling the pits with power-station fly ash. Dr Tony Kent represented the conservation trust in opposing the proposal, which involved local government, planning and river authorities. The operator records planning refusal, withdrawal of the application and the ash being taken to Peterborough. Attenborough became the Trust’s first reserve in 1966 and was opened by David Attenborough, then controller of BBC2, before an estimated 500 people. A 1970 agreement established joint management involving the Trust and landowner RMC Aggregates Ltd. Early visitor activities centred on a volunteer-run caravan. Education-facility plans developed in the 1980s, Sir David viewed designs in 1988, and the Nature Centre opened in March 2005. Sand and gravel extraction ended in 2017. In 2019, the Trust secured an opportunity to purchase the reserve for £1 million, with thousands of supporters and Biffa Award contributing to securing its future.