Ilkeston - Manor Floods LNR
w/e 31 May 2015
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Kodak DX6490

At the same time as West Hallam's Straw's Bridge site was officially declared a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) on March 19th 2015 the adjacent site in Ilkeston known as Manor Floods also received the same accreditation. It would be remiss of me therefore having already looked at the former not to afford the same courtesy to the latter.

Manor Floods

Golf CourseGrassy AreaDespite the stretch of water that gives it name to Manor Floods the water covers a relatively small proportion of the site. I could have entered the site from various points including the Straw's Bridge site but chose on this occasion to access it near the end of the golf course (left) via the housing development off Drummond Road. This leads to a mainly grassy area (right) crossed by several paths.
The "Floods"

I followed the paths zig-zagging down the slope to the edge of the water where I could have turned left to follow another path to reach the Nutbrook Trail which runs as a tarmac path along the western side of the water. Instead I turned right past the angling platforms and enjoyed the views across the water to Pewit Carr, another LNR on the other side.

Eastern Side

The route around the eastern side of the pond is much less well defined than the Nutbrook Trail but there is a well trodden path that I followed although some of it was lined with nettles.
Tree Arch

I veered off the path and walked down to a couple of angling platforms and then continued along the edge of the water through the undergrowth and under this arched tree branch.
Looking Back

Regaining the well trodden path, I continued around the northern side of the pond pausing only to watch a couple of coots and look back to the slope where I had approached the water in the first place.
Nutbrook Trail

I then turned north to follow the Nutbrook Trail for a very short way but instead of continuing under the former railway bridge, a route I have followed many times before, I turned off to climb up the embankment and remain within the Manor Floods LNR.


This is not a path I had walked previously but it continues along the top of the embankment of the former railway line. Initially it is now lined with trees but soon changes into a more open landscape.


All along the path the trees and bushes at this time of year are full of blossom.
Inviting Seat

This embankment path is rather like the hypotenuse of a right angled triangle and rejoins The Nutbrook Trail near the Shipley View Estate. Although the seat on the Trail looked inviting I resisted temptation and turned away to head back southwards along yet another well trodden path through the reserve.
Maturing Landscape

I used to walk this path between the Manners Industrial Estate and the Nutbrook Trail a few years back with a walking group but since I was last here it has certainly matured a lot and with all the blossom currently on show, the former open landscape will soon disappear altogether.
Industrial Estate

Instead of carrying on into the industrial estate I turned to follow the boundary to head back towards the pond with the peace only disturbed by the sound of machinery from the estate.

On The Way Back

The path dropped down between the trees and the boundary fence and the landscape gradually opened out into a mainly grassed area again which is popular with dog walkers. With one last look at the "floods" now on my right I climbed back up the slope to return to the housing estate where I had first entered the reserve to complete the circuit. Many people think that Manor Floods is just the pond but as this short walk shows there is much more to the Nature Reserve bearing that name than that and in the rest of the site there must be a huge variety of flora and fauna to be studied and enjoyed.

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