Visit Us

The Nature Reserve is open to the public on Sundays and Mondays, between 10am and 4pm.

Please contact us the day before you intend to visit. As we have protected species on the reserve, and to ensure the health and safety of visitors where work is taking place, we ensure a warden is present while visitors are on the reserve. If you wish, the warden would be more than happy to show you round the reserve and show you what we're currently up to.

Visits are free for members (who may bring a guest free of charge). We ask for a small donation for visits by non-members. Find out more about becoming a member here.

How to find us

From Derby, the North East/South via the M1 or the North West via the M6

Join the A50 towards Uttoxeter:
- From the M6: Leave the M6 at J16 for the A500 South, joining the A50 towards Derby in Stoke.
- From the M1: Leave the M1 at J24 for the A50 towards Derby.
- From Derby: Leave Derby via the A516, joining the A50 westbound at J5
From the A50, follow brown signs for Alton Towers to the A50/B5030 Roundabout
At the McDonalds roundabout, turn off the A50 to join the B5030 towards Rocester/Ashbourne
Just after leaving the A50, take the first left onto Ashbourne Road (approx 200m), signposted Spath/Stramshall, then continue below

From Birmingham/Stafford via the M6 and A518

From Birmingham, take the M6 North towards Stafford and Stoke on Trent
Leave the M6 at J13 for the A449 towards Stafford
Once in Stafford town centre, follow signs for the A518 towards Uttoxeter
Follow the A518 into Uttoxeter (approx 10 miles)
In Uttoxeter, pick up signs for the B5030/Rocester
At the roundabout after the A50 flyover, turn left, signposted Stoke/A50, Spath and Stramshall
Before the A50, turn right onto Ashbourne Road (approx 200m), signposted Spath/Stramshall, then continue below

From Ashbourne, Leek and the Peak District via the B5030

Follow signs towards Rocester from Leek/Ashbourne
At Rocester, join the B5030 towards Uttoxeter
Continue towards Uttoxeter for approx. 3 miles, to the roundabout with the A518
Take the second exit, straight over towards the A50
Before the A50, turn right onto Ashbourne Road (approx 200m), signposted Spath/Stramshall, then continue below

From Ashbourne Road:

Follow Ashbourne Road through Spath and into Stramshall
In Stramshall, turn right immedidately before the Church onto Hollington Lane
Follow Hollington Lane approx 3/4 miles, looking for a logging company on the right. The entrance to TVM is the next left, which is somewhat concealed until close.

Our address is unlikely to be recognised by most satnav/mapping software, so we recommend using our latitude/longitude, OS grid reference or what3words reference to find our entrance.

Postcode (Ignore after Stramshall): ST14 5ER
Lat/Long: 52.925655, -1.898877
Ordinance Survey: SK 0689 3647
what3words: robot.regulator.subplot

Parking is on gravel, which can get a little muddy but is suitable for all types of car year round.

What to expect

The reserve is 11 acres in size, and we'd recommend at least 2 hours to see the whole reserve.
Regrettebly, we cannot allow dogs onto the reserve due to the risk of disturbance to wildlife. An exception to this is made for guide/assistance dogs.
At the start of your visit our warden will give you a quick briefing of any areas which are out of bounds (usually due to health and safety or protected species) and health and safety information. You're welcome to explore the reserve on your own, or our warden would be happy to show you round.
The majority of the reserve's terrain is on grass, which can be liable to being muddy, slippery and/or uneven. Unfortunately, wheelchairs and mobility scooters are unsuitable. We highly recommend walking boots, especially in wet weather periods.
There is a toilet on site in the top right hand corner which visitors are welcome to use.
The reserve has several benches, and a covered woodland shelter. You're welcome to bring your own food, providing you take all litter with you. Please don't feed any animals without permission from your warden.
We have a strict non smoking policy on the reserve, due to the woodland habitat and machinery in use.