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Hey guys!! Not sure if this should be posted here or not, but I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about the history of Attenborough Nature Reserve or any old photos etc. Took some wonderful pictures there a few years back and would love to know more about it :) here's a few...

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I spent many hundreds of hours there in the 80/90s and took thousands of photos. Happy days.

Unfortunately negatives are lost and I have to scan prints which loses some quality.

Gravel barges were still chugging up and down while I was there.

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We used to cycle there to go fishing in the 50s from Bestwood,before it wasnt a nature reserve,we just new it as Beeston gravel pits,i had lent my mate Barry my new disgorger (a small metal object used to retrieve the hook if the fish had swallowed it) it cost me 4 old pence,anyway Barry fell in while useing it,and i was on the bank shouting "throw the disgorger out" he never forgave me.

It was a pub near there where i 1st bought a girl a drink (Sandra Webster) i was 15 and she had a Babycham(with Cherry of course) cost me 1/6 still got the stick,with Jolly anglers on.romantic fool that i am. :)

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Lovely photos poohbear.

I used to pass by on the train everyday on my way to college in Leicester, for 3 years in the 70's. It was one of my favourite parts of the journey, which was generally spent seeing what wildlife I could spot along the way.....mainly foxes and bunnies.

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It started life as a sand and gravel quarry in the 1920's Trent gravels, followed by Butterley Aggregates then RMC aggregates and now Cemex, it is still a working quarry with raw material being bought to the plant by Tug and hopper from the dig area at Long Eaton, not far from the old Trent rail station or junction, each hopper holds upto 100 tons of raw material to be processed at the plant on Long lane Attenborough, in the past the gravels and sand were used in the building of Radcliffe on Soar power station, Victoria center, and the QMC to name just a few.

David Attenborough opened the new visitor center but he opened the nature reserve in the 1960's I think, David Bellamy also had a hand in the setting up of the site before any building work took place, the original car park and small visitor "hut" was sited down Attenborough lane Attenborough

Rog

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I lived in Chilwell for a short while in 2004. There w3ere still funny little barges transferring gravel from new quarries near to Long Eaton through the ponds to the works at Attenborough. I used to love walking my dog along the little paths between the ponds.

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The dates you mention Bilbraborn they would have run 3 barges with a carrying capacity of 80-90 tons each for the two larger ones and about 60 tons of raw material for the little barge which was called Rose, two tugs would also push "dumb barges" with a load capacity of 90-100 tons each, the tugs and barges use Perkins diesel engines running through Climax forward/reverse gearboxes, the engines are marineised and are cooled by the pond water running through an heat exchanger as are most water craft, the tugs weigh in at about 8 tons each and the barges maybe 10tons, the Tugs are called Bantam tugs and there is a website under that name, not too many left working now throughout the UK, I think Severn Trent have a couple of the larger ones and I know there maybe one moored on the canal near Langley Mill

Rog

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  • 1 month later...

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Picture of a Bantam tug being lifted out of the lake at Hykeham quarry Lincolnshire ready to be transported to Attenborough

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On the lorry ready for the trip

Rog

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Still running and bringing upto 500 tons of raw material to the processing plant each day, engine speed of about 2100rpm,they are fitted out with a small cooker and gas hot ring to boil the kettle on for cups of tea etc, they have plenty of years work left in them and are regularly serviced using top quality engine oil and filters,takes about 3-4 hours to complete the service and all the safety checks,far from the tip I would say

Rog

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  • 4 years later...

Here's an unusual picture of the Attenborough nature reserve, I took this picture from the cab of one of the barges of the Long Eaton footpath bridge,the barge had just been loaded at the Pasture lane loading head about half a mile from where I took this picture, there is about another two to two and half miles to go before getting back to the processing plant at Long lane Attenborough

 

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Rog

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This picture is of the local school children from Chilwell College House school having a days visit to Attenborough plant and quarry to see how sand and gravel is produced,the children were given a tug and hopper ride (sail) from the plant to the dig area and back a round trip of about one and half to two hours, the tug and hopper went out empty apart from the children and came back with all hands and a load of about 90 tons of raw material,

 

The children being given a talk about the process and a safety talk from tug operator Terry Higgins before setting off for the Long Eaton dig

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And the children and tug and hopper being fully loaded returning to the plant site Long Lane Attenborough

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For my part in the day I had the pleasure of teaching the children how to measure the stock piles and from that how to work out the weight of said stockpile, great fun and enjoyed by everyone

 

Rog

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My paternal grandparents lived in Stapleford in the 60s. Sometimes, dad would drive us over to see them on summer evenings and then we'd go to Attenborough Nature Reserve to watch the sun set before going home. I have very happy memories of the place.

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I too have fond memories of the place but in my case it was working at the plant and quarry, Happy dayz

 

Rog

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I posted these two pictures before the PB problems but thought it a good idea to re-post them, it is one of the Bantam tugs being lifted out of the water at Hykeham quarry Lincolnshire ready to be transported to Attenborough quarry around 2006,I drew up a lift plan and worked out all the lifting requirements for the lift and lower

 

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The tug weighed 8 ton

 

Rog

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  • 2 years later...

My recollection was the (now reserve) was a former gravel quarry.  As a kid in the early-mid 1960s, us kids would go fishing in there and also collect bullrushes to sell to folk who lived in houses on Hallam's Lane (Chilwell).  We'd walk well out from the shore on the reed mats to get the best rushes.  There was always a story around back then that pits was home to a huge pike that had chewed up many a bait and lure.  On the way back to Chilwell, we'd put pennies on the rail track to see what happened.  I think John Drinkall and maybe Kieth Cutts used to be there too.

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