College Lake, Buckinghamshire

Come rain or shine, there's nothing more refreshing than being outside and enjoying what Mother Nature has to offer. A little while ago my lovely mum who is a school teacher, took my dad, brother and I for a walk around College Lake in Buckinghamshire. Mum had taken her class on a school trip there a week before and had come home full of enthusiasm about the place so off we went one Sunday morning on a family outing...

A former chalk quarry, College Lake is now one of Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust's flagship nature reserves, providing a home to over 1000 different species. It's vast space (65.00 hectares to be precise!) has been thoughtfully and beautifully  designed, along with it's grass roofed eco visitor centre. In the middle of the nature reserve is College Lake, home to many different birds, including the rare lapwings and redshanks. Specialist islands have been built on the lake itself, where birds roost and breed - birds have come all the way from Scandanavia to feed and roost here, how amazing is that?!

 



It was a chilly Sunday morning when we arrived but thankfully the sun was shining and the air was beautifully crisp. After parking the car beside the visitor's centre, we decided on doing the suggested circular woodland walk, which takes you 2 miles along the side of the lake, and into various wooded areas where you can spot a whole range of species including butterflies, insects and possibly even small mammals if you're lucky, all of which are the perfect prey for kestrels, owls and other types of large birds which live here. The whole area is total dream if you're into bird watching. There are 11 lovely wooden hides situated along the Lake overlooking the water, giving brilliant, peaceful views of the tranquil surroundings. I loved spending time in the hides with our own personal show of birds roosting in their nests and soaring above the lake. It was hard to believe this was only a 10 minute drive from home!! College Lake is situated in the countryside just 2 miles north of the Hertfordshire market town of Tring.

As the nature reserve is popular with schools and promotes the education of sustaining wildlife, there are several information posts and activity huts where you can learn more about different species and their habitats. I was so impressed with the general design of the place - it caters so well for people of all ages, with wide paths suitable for buggies and wheelchair users. I should point out that dogs are not permitted, other than guide dogs. I guess this is because of all the wildlife here which is so carefully protected.

 All the materials used to build the fences, paths and benches are eco-friendly. By the lake there were beautiful bamboo fences, great for some artistic photos! With the sun shining, the water looked brilliantly blue and sparkling. Tropical island? Nope just the Home Counties!

 We had such a lovely walk, enjoying the surroundings and watching the wildlife. There was just one thing left to do... enjoy hot chocolate and cake in the cafe at the visitor's centre! Sunday mornings don't get much better than that!

I'd thoroughly recommend a visit to College Lake if you're in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire or any of the surrounding areas. A Winter walk here is definitely on the cards! Admission is totally free - the Nature Reserve relies solely on it's fabulous volunteers and staff who do such an incredible job maintaining the space, ensuring that the wildlife is protected and cared for in the best way possible. You can find out more from their website here.


Lydia xxx