Brockholes: UK’s First Floating Nature Reserve Is Now Open For Exploration

Back in January, we were pretty pumped to see the renderings for the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/uks-first-floating-nature-reserve-visitor-centre-is-almost-complete/">Brockholes Nature Reserve</a> and were even more stoked to see it finally completed and in action. Having only opened to visitors on Easter Sunday, the floating <a href="http://inhabitat.com/design-proposal-for-the-newark-visitor-center-competition/">visitor centre</a> has already earned a BREAAM 'Outstanding' certification.The gorgeous high roofed buildings form a little village out on the pontoon allowing visitors to feel part of the wetlands area. The whole reserve was master planned by <a href="http://www.adamkhan.co.uk/" target="_blank">Adam Khan Architects</a> and features a gift shop, local food store, a restaurant, and kilometers of hiking trails for visitors to explore.

The brand new nature reserve was created from the abandoned remains of an abandoned quarry near Preston, England.

Owned by Lancashire Wildlife Trust, 67-acre reserve and visitor centre was made possible with a sizable grant of £8 million from the North West Regional Development Agency.

Landscapes and new habitats, like the wetlands, a hay meadow, and woods were created to encourage wildlife.

Visitors are encouraged to explore the trails for bird watching, recreation and more (sorry, no pups allowed).

The highlight of the new reserve though, is the beautiful floating eco-village with decks for visitors to enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

The tall roofed buildings feature oak shingles, newspaper insulation and other reclaimed materials in their construction.

Floating on a large pontoon made from hollow concrete, the village need not worry about seasonal fluctuations in the wetlands water level or even flooding, which is also likely.

In this way, the village minimizes its impact on the environment and reduces the risk of damage from flooding.

The Trust has been working for over 10 years to rehabilitate the former quarry into the beautiful reserve that it is now.

The centre is also available for events, parties and weddings, in case you were wondering.

A number of new habitats were created, including nook pool, meadow lake, boilton marsh, a woodland and reedbeds.

Bridges cross over the wetlands through the trail system.

A small shack provides a rest place for visitors out on the trails.