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Peter Fidler Nature Reserve
Type:Nature Reserve
Bolsover
Derbyshire
S44 6GA
Call direct on:
Tel08456 058 058
About
Peter Fidler Reserve sits on the former Bolsover Coal Mine South Tip. The tip has been transformed with a number of valuable habitats, including reed bed, ponds, woodland and meadows
In summer dragonflies are on the wing in the Reserve. Watch over the new pools for these fascinating insects. You will see Emperor, Brown Hawker, Common Darter and Southern Hawker with Common and Blue Tailed Damselflies. These flying jewels are following in the footsteps of their illustrious ancestors discovered as fossils at Bolsover Coal Mine in 1978 that lived 300,000,000 years ago. The first one was a new species with a 20 cm wingspan and created quite a stir both locally and nationally. A second find in the pit that year proved to be the largest fossil insect, named by the British Museum in 1980 as Typhus ailuculum (Giant Dragonfly of the Dawn) with a wingspan of 50 cm. The largest Dragonfly wingspan you will see now is the 10.6 cm of the Emperor.
The site has been dedicated to the memory of Peter Fidler, who was born in 1769 at Mill Farm, close to the current site of the Reserve. Peter Fidler became a famous North American explorer and chief surveyor for the Hudson Bay Company in Canada.
The Reserve includes new pathways, picnic areas and viewpoints overlooking Bolsover and the Doe Lea Valley. The commemorative stone cairn installed on the reserve is similar to Peter Fidler's memorial at Dauphin in Canada. Access to the Peter Fidler Reserve is available for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
There is also an audio trail that can be downloaded prior to your visit or download a map of the site from the link further down this page.
Guide Prices
Admission free
Facilities
Accessibility
- Disabled access
Catering
- Picnic site
Children
- Children welcome
Parking
- Free Parking
Property Facilities
- Dogs Accepted
Opening Times
| Season (1 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Monday - Sunday | Open | |
| Bank Holiday | Open | |
* Open all day every day
TripAdvisor
Map & Directions
Road Directions
From North/South Leave M1 motorway at junction 29A and follow signs towards Bolsover on A632. From roundabout onto A32, follow road for just over ½ mile and, at roundabout, take 3rd exit onto Riverside Way. Follow road to car park at end.
From East Follow A617 to junction with M1 motorway. At roundabout take 4th exit (M1 North). Leave M1 at next junction (29A), then follow route from North/South.
From West Follow A619 to Chesterfield. At traffic light controlled roundabout (Matalan) select middle lane and take 3rd exit. Keep in left lane and, at traffic lights go straight on. At roundabout select middle lane and take 2nd exit (A632). Follow road, going straight on at traffic lights, for about 1 mile and, at traffic lights (Royal Hospital) go straight on. Follow road for approx 1¼ miles to traffic lights and go straight on. At roundabout take 2nd exit (A632). Follow road for approx 2¼ miles and, at roundabout take 3rd exit (Riverside Way). Follow road to car park at end.
Public Transport Directions
Nearest train station Chesterfield, 5 miles away
Bus number 82 or 83 from Chesterfield town centre, both run once per hour
