Idle Valley Nature Reserve

The area that now forms the nature reserve was quarried for sand and gravel from the mid-1940s onwards. Tarmac Limited acquired the quarries in 1981. Bellmore Quarry was at the southern end of the site, and around 350,000 tonnes of sand and gravel were extracted every year until extraction ceased in 2005. Lound Quarry was to the north of Bellmore, and produced around 500,000 tonnes of aggregate every year, until its closure in 2011. It has been estimated that the quarries supplied some 30 million tonnes of sand and gravel to the local construction industry, during the lifetime of the quarrying operation. The mineral extraction consent under which the quarry operated required that the land…

Idle Valley Nature Reserve is next to the A638 road and buses stop outside the reserve. Multiple public rights-of-way cross the reserve, including one around the majority of Bellmoor Lake. The reserve is open all year, and access is free, although visitors are asked to donate for using the car park. The main part of the reserve is accessed from the visitor centre. The northern end of the reserve can be accessed by walking from the visitor centre, although it is also accessible via Lound village. The visitor centre and shop are open daily except Christmas Day. Most of the reserve and its facilities are wheelchair accessible, but some areas can be muddy and unsuitable for wheelchairs at times.