Our Reserves

Permits are required for some of our nature reserves. This is to control the number of visitors onto sensitive areas. Permits are available from the Trust office. Members simply need to phone to be issued with the current gate and hide numbers, while non-members can purchase a permit for £12.

Spring Wood SSSI

(Grid reference SK379225)

Location: On the eastern side of Staunton Harold Reservoir

Nearest Town:  Melbourne

Grid reference:  SK 379225  (OS Landranger sheet 128, Derby and Burton on Trent)

How to get there: Follow the B587 around Melbourne and after entering the county of Leicestershire, take the next right turn. Park in the Severn Trent Water car park on your left just before the road passes over the reservoir. The entrance to the reserve is opposite.

Access: Please note that a permit is required for access to this reserve. Permits are free to Trust members and £12 for non-members; for further details contact the Trust office.

This woodland reserve is a beautiful sight in May, when bluebells carpet much of the woodland floor. As well as a mixture of trees including birch, oak, ash and alder, the streams that run through the reserve create a different habitat, where golden opposite-leaved saxifrage grows in spring.

The trees provide nesting sites for many birds, including great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch and treecreeper. The older trees occasionally attract hornets, which may be seen hunting along the path.

During autumn you will see - or smell - several species of fungus, including stinkhorn, while the dying birch trees have birch bracket fungus.

From the hide, there are good views over the southern part of the reservoir and in winter you will see many species of duck, including wigeon, shoveler, pochard and tufted duck. In muddy areas, look for the tracks of fallow deer.