| Branston Water Park | |
|---|---|
 Looking across the lake | |
  Location in Staffordshire | |
| Location | Burton upon Trent grid reference SK 215 208 |
| Coordinates | 52°47′4″N1°41′2″W / 52.78444°N 1.68389°W Coordinates: 52°47′4″N1°41′2″W / 52.78444°N 1.68389°W |
| Area | 23.55 hectares (58.2 acres) |
| Designation | Local nature reserve |
| Website | Branston Water Park |
Branston Water Park is a local nature reserve near Burton upon Trent, in Staffordshire, England, next to the village of Branston.
The lake is a former gravel pit, one of several along the Trent Valley. There was gravel extraction here from the 1930s to the 1950s, after which wildlife habitats developed naturally. In the mid 1980s the land was leased by East Staffordshire Borough Council; public access was introduced, and the site was developed as a country park, with pathways, signage and a visitor centre. [1]
The reserve was designated a local nature reserve (LNR) in 2010. As of 2020 [update] , it has held the Green Flag Award since 2005. [1] [2]
The Trent and Mersey Canal passes alongside the site to the north-west; to the south- east is the A38 road.
Its area is 23.55 hectares (58.2 acres). [3] It is a notable wetland site, and around the lake is woodland, predominantly of willow and birch, and wildflower meadow. There is a large reed bed, which is a Grade 1 Staffordshire Site of Biological Importance. [1]
There is a flat circular path around the lake, and there are picnic areas and a children's play area. The Burton Mutual Angling Association and the Burton Model Boating Club use the park by agreement with the Council. [1]
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands County and Worcestershire to the south, and Shropshire to the west.
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town in Staffordshire, England, close to the border with Derbyshire. In 2011, it had a population of 72,299. The demonym for residents of the town is Burtonian. Burton is 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Derby, 27 miles (43 km) northwest of Leicester, 28 miles (45 km) west-southwest of Nottingham and 20 miles (32 km) south of the southern entrance to the Peak District National Park.
Sandwell Valley Country Park is a country park, run by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, in Sandwell Valley, on the River Tame in the middle of the urban conurbation between Birmingham and West Bromwich in West Midlands, England.
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The Cotswold Water Park is the United Kingdom's largest marl lake system, straddling the Wiltshire–Gloucestershire border, northwest of Cricklade and south of Cirencester. The lakes were created in the second half of the 20th century by extraction of glacial Jurassic limestone gravel, which had eroded from the Cotswold Hills, and these filled naturally after working began to cease in the early 1970s.
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Brotherton Park and Dibbinsdale Local Nature Reserve informally known as Dibbinsdale is a combined park and local nature reserve managed by the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and located in Bromborough, Merseyside, England.
Branston is a village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. At the 2001 census, the population was 6,540, increasing to 6,749 at the 2011 Census.
Cotwall End Valley is a local nature reserve in West Midlands, England. It is about a mile south of Sedgley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley.
Croxall Lakes is a nature reserve located between the villages of Croxall and Alrewas, Staffordshire, in the United Kingdom. The nature reserve comprises two lakes and grassland between them. The lakes were formed through the quarrying of sand and gravel deposits, these excavations subsequently flooded and were then restored to create the nature reserve. The site is managed by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and owned by the National Forest Company. The reserve is an important stop off point for a wide variety of migrating birds due to its location at the meeting point of three rivers, the Trent, Tame and Mease.
The Chase is a nature reserve in Dagenham in London. Most of it is in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, with a small part in Havering. It is owned by the boroughs, and managed by London Borough of Barking & Dagenham - Parks & Countryside Ranger Service. The boroughs have designated the sections in their respective boroughs as Local Nature Reserves. The Chase, together with the neighbouring Eastbrookend Country Park, is also designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.
Beam Valley Country Park is a 74-hectare park in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Most of it is designated as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) called Beam Valley, but a narrow strip next to the River Beam south from Western Avenue is a separate LNR called Beam Valley. The park is also designated as two Sites of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, one north and the other south of South Dagenham Road.
Westport Lake is a lake and local nature reserve in Stoke-on-Trent, in Staffordshire, England, about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) south of Tunstall. It is alongside the Trent and Mersey Canal.
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