Also known as Swan Lake.
View of Straws Bridge
As you journey along the Nutbrook Trail towards West Hallam, you’ll encounter the enchanting area known as Straws Bridge.
This picturesque spot boasts a large lake and two smaller lakes, teeming with wildlife such as ducks, geese, and more. In the past, it was called Swan Lake due to a period when many swans settled here. The name still stands today.
It’s a haven for nature lovers and easily accessible from the A609 to West Hallam.
3 lakes, marsh area, picnic tables and a free car park.
Originally named Moor’s Bridge, it was renamed Straw’s Bridge in 1844 after Samuel Straw purchased the overseer’s house built next to the Nutbrook Canal. Samuel, employed as the overseer, moved into the house, giving the bridge its new name.
The original bridge was demolished in the 1930s and replaced with a new level bridge over the now-abandoned Nutbrook Canal, as the old structure was deemed unsafe for traffic.
In the 1980s, the area became an opencast mining site, with excavations deep enough to accommodate truck roadways.
Today, the Friends of Straw’s Bridge are intrigued by what might lie beneath the surface.
They’re on a mission to discover the depth of the centre and whether any vehicles were left behind during the mining operations.
The Nutbrook Trail offers a 10-mile path free of traffic, connecting Long Eaton, Shipley Country Park, and Heanor. It is designed for shared use by both pedestrians and cyclists. Horse riders are permitted to use the Stanton branch line section and the route north of Straws Bridge. The entire stretch of the Nutbrook Trail running through Shipley Country Park is accessible to walkers, cyclists, and horse riders.