Beaver Enclosure Tour

Venture inside our beaver enclosure with a guide in search of signs of beaver activity and discover how they’re transforming the habitat.
About this Event

Idle Valley Nature Reserve is the home of Nottinghamshire's only beavers!

Beavers are slowly being reintroduced to the UK in a number of different locations. They're known as keystone species and ecosystem engineers, famous for their ability to transform landscapes, boost biodiversity, alleviate flooding, and capture carbon.

At around 60 hectares, our beaver enclosure is the largest in the UK with space for not just a couple of beavers but up to 18 - that's 3 families of 6 in three separate territories!

Join us for an exclusive 2 hour guided tour inside the enclosure. Venturing through the beaver’s tangled wetland world, you’ll see clear signs of their activity such as tree felling, damming, lodge building, debarking and digging. You’ll also spot some of the other wildlife benefiting from their efforts.

Your guide will share with you a brief history of beavers in the UK and their fascinating biology and behaviour as well as how and why they were reintroduced to Idle Valley NR.

Beavers are rarely active during the daytime so the aim of this event will not be to see the beavers themselves but to discover the signs they leave behind and why they're here at Idle Valley NR.

Our beaver enclosure is approximately 3 miles from the visitor centre at Idle Valley Nature Reserve so the group will not be meeting there. Instead, please meet us in the car park on Chainbridge Lane just before the start of the tour.

Google Maps coordinates: 53°21'51.7"N 0°56'33.0"W

What3Words address: ///months.postings.mingles

Written directions: From Mattersey Rd, head East on Daneshill Rd through Lound. At the crossroads, continue straight onto Chainbridge Lane. Continue straight as the road surface changes to loose stone for 200-300m. Just past a red gate on your left you’ll see the car park on your right.

Please note that the beaver enclosure is a wild space. The tour follows a route that may be uneven, muddy and tough to navigate in parts. Sturdy walking boots are strongly recommended.