A nature reserve in Guildford, Surrey, is set for improvements as £1.3 million of investment plans are announced. Riverside NR was one of the more productive birding sites in Surrey. However, it now suffers from considerable disturbance, especially from dog walkers, and the selection of waterbirds found here is not what it once was. However, this might be set to change, with officials recently unveiling plans for substantial investment in the site.

A nature reserve in Guildford, Surrey, is set for improvements as £1.3 million of investment plans are announced.

Riverside NR is situated in the north-east corner of Guildford. The core part of the reserve is Stoke Lake – formed in the 1970s when a gravel pit was dug out for road-making materials used for the re-routing of the A3, which now serves as a boundary flanking the south-west of the lake.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Stoke Lake was one of the more productive birding sites in Surrey. Unfortunately, it now suffers from considerable disturbance, especially from dog walkers, and the selection of waterbirds found here is not what it once was.