Langford Lowfields

What was once a sand and gravel quarry is now a thriving wetland wildlife haven. At the heart of this growing reserve is a flourishing reedbed where Bitterns boom, Brown Hares leap and Marsh Harriers swoop.

Langford Lowfields is a wonderful example of what happens when we work together to support nature. The reserve is a partnership between the RSPB and Tarmac, that showcases wetland habitat creation and provides much-needed habitat for threatened wildlife.

As well as being a blueprint for rewilding industrial sites, this Nottinghamshire nature reserve is home to a host of ever-changing wildlife spectacles, featuring an all-star cast. Spring is breeding season and an ideal time to see and hear the iconic Bitterns alongside 10 species of noisy warblers. Summer sees the reserve alive with colourful wildflowers and Hobbies zipping after their dragonfly prey. In autumn, wildfowl flocks begin to gather and wading birds drop in to refuel on their long journeys south. Cold winter days bear witness to ghostly Barn Owls and Starling murmurations, which twist and turn through the skies.

We manage Langford Lowfields primarily for the benefit of the wildlife that uses it and the reserve will continue to develop and expand as time goes on. The reedbed that sits at the heart of the reserve is the largest in the East Midlands and with parts of the site having been restored by Tarmac as recently as 2018, the reedbed features a diverse range of habitats from bare muddy islands through to mature stands of reed.

Key reedbed management tasks include the planting of reed seedlings during the summer and the cutting of older reed during the winter. The reedbed is complemented by areas of grassland, scrub and a woodland. Work in the woodland is focused on increasing diversity and on giving the oak trees more room to spread, whilst the thorny scrub blocks are managed to ensure a mix of age structures, supporting as many insect and bird species as possible.

Download our trail map, to help you plan your visit.