Idle Valley Nature Reserve
Local highlightIdle Valley is a spread of lakes and wetland along the River Idle north of Retford, worked out as sand and gravel quarries and now the largest reserve run by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. Around 375 hectares of water and reedbed make it one of the region’s best birding sites — gadwall and grebe in winter, breeding waders in spring. There’s a visitor centre with a café, and Retford station is about 5km south.
