The site covers 5.3 hectares and is a mixture of woodland scrub, railway embankment, rough grassland and riverbank. The old railway embankment was donated to the Trust by British Rail. The reclaimed tip and riverside area owned by Ashfield District Council and a small area of grassland owned by Severn Trent Water are managed by the Trust under licence. The site is designated as a Local Nature Reserve.

The reserve consists of scrub and colonising vegetation on the disused railway line with grassland dominating the rest of the site. An area of new woodland was also planted some years ago.

The larger part of the reserve is an embanked plateau, created by the restoration of an old domestic refuse tip in 1974. The plateau, originally intended for sports use, was managed as rough pasture. This grassland tends to become waterlogged in winter and as a result many moisture-loving plants thrive here. The banks of the River Erewash form the western boundary of the reserve, and the river occasionally flood the bank-side grasslands. Willow and birch dominate the woodland scrub, with yellow iris, meadowsweet and reedmace growing in the small marsh area in the south eastern corner.

Meadow brown, common blue, small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies feed on the knapweed, vetches, trefoils and burnet in the grass sward. Birds to be seen include kestrel and skylark over the plateau, and kingfisher flying along the river. The river corridor forms a natural flight line and various species of birds can be seen during migration periods.

The main objectives are for creative conservation. The aim is to protect and care for the young trees, to increase the species richness of the grassland and marsh communities and to encourage the reserve’s use as an outdoor classroom by local schools.

The reserve can be entered on foot between numbers 40 and 42 Main Road, Jacksdale or by crossing the playing fields from the Jacksdale Community Centre car park. Cars may also be parked on Main Road. The main path is along the railway embankment.