Attenborough Plan Your Visit

Don't worry, you can pay for parking by card at our machines, or online using Park With Ease up to 48 hours after your visit. 

Each Wildlife Trust is an independent, small local charity. There is no formal reciprocal arrangement between Wildlife Trusts with regards to car parking charges. At Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, we are wholly reliant on income from our supporters to create a Wilder Nottinghamshire. Without them, we would not be able to restore wildlife and wild places across the county. We are therefore only able to extend the exemption from the car parking charges to members of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

The charges will apply to all visitors, including Blue Badge holders, unless they qualify for exemption as an NWT Member, as a member of staff or as a registered volunteer at the reserve.

The Centre and reserve are easily accessible on foot and by bicycle. Many visitors choose to arrive along the excellent riverside paths and then up Barton Lane. Cycling is permitted on the riverside paths but not on all paths on the reserve. The reserve can be accessed from Trent Valley Greenways.

Find out more about the traffic-free pathways and download the Big Track Map for ten miles of walking and cycling in Notinghamshire

From Nottingham and Derby

Trent Barton ‘INDIGO’ Bus Service between Nottingham Broadmarsh and Derby Bus Station runs regularly every day (approximately every 10 minutes). The bus stop for Attenborough is Chilwell Retail Park / West Point Shopping Centre. Attenborough is approximately a 30 minute bus ride from both Nottingham and Derby. Once off the bus walk down Barton Lane (approximately 500m) with The Village Hotel on your left and Halfords on your right.Trent Barton Bus website

Attenborough Train Station is 5 minutes walk from the reserve and a further 10 minute walk from the Nature Centre.
Visit National Rail Enquiries for further details.

To get to Attenborough Nature Centre from the train station: Come out of the station turn left towards Attenborough Village. Just after the road bends to the right turn right on to Church Lane. Carry straight on to the driveway of the Church where it says public footpath. Carry on into the Nature Reserve and follow the gravel path until you reach the car park and the Nature Centre is straight ahead.

The Nature Centre and reserve are situated just off the A6005 (post code NG9 6DY) between Beeston and Long Eaton. Turn onto Barton Lane at the traffic lights at Chilwell Retail Park (Mcdonalds and Porcelanosa). Follow Barton Lane with the Village Hotel on your left, over the railway crossing and the car park is at the bottom.

From the M1, junction 25, take the A52 towards Nottingham.  At the first roundabout (Bardill’s Garden Centre) take the right hand lane onto the A6003 towards Long Eaton and you will pick up brown tourist signs from the bottom of Stapleford Lane. At the first set of traffic lights on Stapleford Lane turn left past Tesco and Chetwynd Barracks.  At the next roundabout turn right and get into the right hand lane and go straight on at the traffic lights. Follow Barton Lane with the Village Hotel on your left, go over the railway crossing and the car park is at the bottom..

Visit Nottingham Travelwise for Public Transport and Road information in Nottinghamshire

Distance by Road

Nottingham City Centre - 6 miles
M1 Junction 25 - 3.5 miles
Ilkeston - 7 miles
Derby - 11 miles
Loughborough - 16 miles
Melton Mowbray - 23 miles
Newark - 28 miles
Leicester - 30 miles
Grantham - 32 miles
Lincoln - 47 miles