Colliers Wood Nature Reserve Dog Walk | Eastwood, Nottinghamshire | Ducks, Swans & Mining History

🔔 Subscribe for a new dog walk every week:    / @bigearsco   Colliers Wood Nature Reserve dog walk in Newthorpe, near Eastwood, Nottinghamshire - join Sadie, our 5-year-old German Shepherd, on a full walk around a hidden gem built on an old coal mine, with a duck pond, swans and 28 fascinating facts along the way. Looking for dog friendly walks in Nottinghamshire or near Eastwood, Kimberley or Heanor? Colliers Wood is a free, easy loop with good paths, open meadows, young woodland and a big pond full of ducks and swans. We filmed the whole route so you can see exactly what to expect before you visit - and our live route map in the corner shows where we are at every moment. ⏱️ CHAPTERS Arriving at Colliers Wood The Moorgreen Colliery story The D.H. Lawrence connection From coal pit to nature reserve Meadows and young woodland The duck pond The swans Dog safety near the water 🐾 WALK GUIDE: COLLIERS WOOD NATURE RESERVE 📍 Location: Moorgreen, Newthorpe, near Eastwood, Nottinghamshire - signposted from Engine Lane 🥾 Distance: about 1.2 km (0.75 miles) - an easy loop ⏳ Time: around 25 minutes at a sniffing-every-blade-of-grass pace 💷 Entry: free 🅿️ Parking: Until 9pm 🐕 Dogs: very dog friendly - keep dogs on a lead near the pond, especially around the swans 🌳 Terrain: well-graded paths, meadows and woodland edges - good in most weather, muddy patches after rain ☕ Nearby: pubs and cafés in Moorgreen and Eastwood 🌿 WHAT YOU'LL SEE ON THIS WALK Wildflower meadows, young copses of oak, birch and alder, wetland areas, the main duck pond, swans gliding across the water, and plenty of reminders of the area's coal mining past. It's a quiet, peaceful walk - ideal for older dogs, young dogs in training, or anyone after a short and easy stroll. 🏭 FROM COAL MINE TO NATURE RESERVE Colliers Wood sits on the site of the old Moorgreen Colliery. The shafts were sunk in 1865 by the Barber Walker Company, and at its 1963 peak the pit was producing around a million tons of coal a year. It was nationalised in 1947, and Margaret Thatcher even went underground here in 1976 as Leader of the Opposition. Moorgreen closed in 1985 - the last pit in Eastwood. The land was completely relandscaped in 1996-97 and the nature reserve opened in 1998. Today it covers 13.8 hectares and is looked after by Broxtowe Borough Council together with the volunteers of the Friends of Colliers Wood. Look out for the steel winding wheels at the entrance and the old coal wagon - reminders of the mining history under your feet. 📚 THE D.H. LAWRENCE CONNECTION Eastwood was the hometown of author D.H. Lawrence, and Moorgreen Colliery appears in Sons and Lovers as "Minton" pit. Nearby Moorgreen Reservoir also features in his novels. A copse on the reserve's central meadow is even named after him. 🦆 THE POND, DUCKS AND SWANS The main pond has dipping platforms and a small island built for wildlife, and it's home to mallards, swans and other water birds. Top tip: skip the bread - peas, oats or sweetcorn are much better for ducks. Swans are protective of their young, so keep dogs close and give them plenty of space. 🐺 GERMAN SHEPHERD TIPS FOR THIS WALK Water-loving dogs will be tempted by the pond - with swans and nesting birds about, treat it as a look-don't-swim spot Bring water and a bowl on warm days Use the bins provided and keep the reserve clean for everyone It's a popular spot with families, so recall and lead manners matter here 🐕 ABOUT SADIE Sadie is our fully trained, water-loving German Shepherd - and the star of Big Ears Co. Every week we take her somewhere new and rate the walk for other dog owners: parking, paths, water, livestock, cafés and how dog friendly it really is. If you own a German Shepherd (or any big dog!), this channel is for you. 💬 YOUR TURN Have you walked your dog at Colliers Wood? Tell us in the comments - and suggest a dog friendly walk in Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire you'd like Sadie to try next. 👍 If this helped you plan a walk, give it a like and share it with a dog-owning friend. 📺 MORE DOG WALKS WITH SADIE Shipley Country Park dog walk, Derbyshire:    • Shipley Country Park's Quiet Side: The Wal...   A new dog friendly walk every week - subscribe so you don't miss the next one. 📲 FOLLOW SADIE Website: https://bigearsco.com Instagram:   / bigearsco   TikTok:   / bigearsco   Facebook:   / bigearsco   🗺️ Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Children in the footage have been blurred for privacy. #dogwalk #germanshepherd #nottinghamshire #collierswood #dogfriendlywalks #eastwood #naturereserve #bigearsco