College Lake Nature Reserve

College Lake Nature Reserve An outstanding centre for wetland wildlife with a visitor centre, café, shop, bird hides and trails. Assistance dogs only. No bikes, trikes or scooters.
(225)

Opening times:
Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00-17:00 (last entry 16:00)
Closed on Mondays except Bank holidays

Looking for a Bee-rilliant Half term activity? Adventure through our Wild Woods and Wildlife Garden to find out more abo...
29/05/2026

Looking for a Bee-rilliant Half term activity? Adventure through our Wild Woods and Wildlife Garden to find out more about our buzzing friends with our Bee Trail. Search for the magic letters to see if you can discover our magic word! 🐝

Pick up the trail in the visitor centre for £2.50 - no need to prebook online.
The trail begins a couple minutes from the visitor centre travelling through a shade covered woodland path before ending in the wildlife garden🌼

We're open this bank holiday weekend! Join us from 10am-5pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We'll see you there.
23/05/2026

We're open this bank holiday weekend! Join us from 10am-5pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We'll see you there.

The Arable weeds nursery is now open on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings for anyone curious about the project. Star...
16/05/2026

The Arable weeds nursery is now open on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings for anyone curious about the project.

Started by Val Atkins (wife of Graham Atkins who founded the reserve) when she realised the plants popping up on the reserve when landscaping. As the site had never been sprayed with herbicides lots of rare arable weeds surfaced. This has grown into a nationally recognised project today, growing extinct or threatened species and carrying out trails for other groups.

For anyone who would like to know a little bit more you can join one of our guide walks on the Cornfield Flower Project on Fridays May 22, July 17 or August 14.
Please visit bbowt.org.uk/events

14/05/2026

We've been testing your bird ID skills last weekend on our Live Nest box feed🪺

We've had lots of good guesses using the ID sheets and everyone's general knowledge.

Well down to everyone who wrote down Great Tit - we agree with you! Tough to Identify on a fuzzy black and white feed so a lot of good guess in there.
If you want to catch the live feed of this bird box visit the Outlook Inn at College Lake before they fledge!🐦‍⬛

Looking at an opportunity to take some time out in nature? We've got two events coming up that will allow you to do just...
12/05/2026

Looking at an opportunity to take some time out in nature? We've got two events coming up that will allow you to do just that!

🌸 Join us forest bathing on May 7 to take a breathe and breathe in the blossom emerging at College Lake.📆 Sunday 17 May - 10:30-🎟️ £20

🎨 If you prefer something more creative join us to create your own tension trays one of our natural craft workshops. 📆 Thursday 21 May - 10:30 - 🎟️ £20

Book onto either of them at bbowt.org.uk/events

Visit us from 10am-5pm this bank holiday Monday!Café will be open from 10am-4pm too. See you there👋
01/05/2026

Visit us from 10am-5pm this bank holiday Monday!
Café will be open from 10am-4pm too. See you there👋

We're changing how we feed our birds 🐦. Following the RSPB's new guidance, we'll be taking down seed and nut feeders out...
29/04/2026

We're changing how we feed our birds 🐦. Following the RSPB's new guidance, we'll be taking down seed and nut feeders out on the reserve from the start of May until the end of October. This will help reduce the spread of disease especially protecting bullfinches, greenfinches and chaffinches.

We'll occasionally be giving them some fat balls at our new feeding area on the far side of the reserve but mostly allowing them to forage for themselves.
If you have any questions please ask a member of the College Lake team.

Did you know that scientists often struggle to find male woodlice, that male trees can turn female, or that many birds p...
26/04/2026

Did you know that scientists often struggle to find male woodlice, that male trees can turn female, or that many birds partner up into same-sex couples?

Discover the fascinating world of Q***r ecology on the evening of Friday 26 June. Starting at 7pm we'll explore the reserve and the diverse lifecycles of plants and animals. You’ll learn how to use a hand lens to identify common species and gain a new fascination with the natural world.

🎟️ £26
🕖️ 7pm-8.45pm
📆 26 June
📷️ Connor Butler

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/queer-ecology-walk-college-lake-friday-26-june-tickets-1987615391140?aff=oddtdtcreator&_gl=1*ptxzh7*_up*MQ..*_ga*MzAyMDk4MTE5LjE3NzY1MDkyODM.*_ga_TQVES5V6SH*czE3NzY1MDkyODIkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzY1MDkyODIkajYwJGwwJGgw

Due to popular demand we've added a second date for our glow worm walk! Join us for a summer evening exploration of Coll...
23/04/2026

Due to popular demand we've added a second date for our glow worm walk!
Join us for a summer evening exploration of College Lake to find these illuminating creatures. For our extra session the details are:
📆 Sunday 19 July
🕤️ 9.30
🎟️ £15 - https://buff.ly/xbz5CCh

Our banks to the visitor centre are covered in cowslips! Suggested to have once been as common as a buttercup they appea...
18/04/2026

Our banks to the visitor centre are covered in cowslips!

Suggested to have once been as common as a buttercup they appear in folklore all across the country. They developed names such as 'key of heaven', 'fairies flower', 'paigles' and 'herb Peter' and yet we use cow slip - deriving from cowpat after the meadows they were found in!

Do you know any other names for them?

Address

College Lake Nature Reserve, Upper Icknield Way, Bulbourne
Tring
HP235QG

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

01442 826774

Website

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