The Big Track on the way to Attenborough

Yesterday was a very nice day despite the forecast, and I thought after all those years in Nottingham, me and my daughters had never been to Attenborough Nature Reserve, despite it being so close to the pony club where my younger one goes. Even my husband had not heard about the Big Track, along the Trent! You almost feel like you are in Derbyshire at certain points. Certainly not a couple of miles away from Nottingham City centre.






I never knew about that place near Beeston marina. It looks even better in real life!




My daughter enjoyed watching the lock open to let a boat sail through


At last we reached the visitor centre for a welcome break! We did not have a picnic sadly otherwise we would have stayed longer.



This bridge is very familiar as it is where my husband drives to work. It felt good cycling underneath it rather than driving on it (in traffic)

In total, it was a nearly 20 mile ride. My longest ever recorded on Strava. I was proud of all the family. I hope my girls are. I think the highly energetic almost 9-year-old was. Not sure about the teenager, who took a lot of persuasion.
One issue was that we wore coats, as it felt really cold when we left the house. This is the season when you can never be sure whether it will stay cold or get significantly warmer in the afternoon, as was the case yesterday. But we were on our bikes, so tying our coats around our waists was not an option. My poor husband had to carry them in two bags for life on our way back as the coats did not fit in my backpack. Lesson learned: you get warm quickly cycling so no need to wear winter coats, just because it feels chilly at first!
 

Location: Attenborough, Beeston, Nottingham NG9, UK

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