The Wolseley Centre is a

visitor centre A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to visitors. Types of visitor center A visit ...

and

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

of the

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust The Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Staffordshire, England. Organisation and activities It is one of 46 Wildlife Trusts; each is a registered charity and is a member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. ...

, in

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

, England, about north-west of

Rugeley Rugeley ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Cannock Chase District in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the north-eastern edge of Cannock Chase next to the River Trent; it is situated north of Lichfield, south-east of Stafford, nort ...

, and about south-east of the county town of

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies about north of Wolverhampton, south of Stoke-on-Trent and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 70,145 in t ...

. The Trust has two visitor centres; the other is at Westport Lake in Stoke-on-Trent.

History

Wolseley Hall

The site was formerly the gardens of

Wolseley Hall Wolseley Hall was a stately home near the village of Colwich, in Staffordshire, England. It was demolished in 1966; the former gardens are now a nature reserve of the Wolseley Centre. History The manor house The estate was held by the Wolsel ...

, which was built in the late 17th century. The hall was demolished in 1966; in the 1990s there was some restoration of the gardens, by Sir Charles Wolseley. The site was later converted into a nature reserve, and it has been the headquarters of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust since 2003."The Wolseley Centre"
''Staffordshire Wildlife Trust''. Retrieved 27 April 2020.

Redevelopment

From November 2018 the site was redeveloped, to have a new café with views across the adjacent lake, an improved car park and other features across the site. The redeveloped centre was officially opened on 12 June 2019 by the

Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire This is a list of people who have served as lord lieutenant for Staffordshire. Since 1828, all lord lieutenants have also been custos rotulorum of Staffordshire. Lord Lieutenants of Staffordshire *Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford 1559 *George ...

Grounds

There are of grounds, including woodlands, lakes, pools and marshland, in which there are wildlife habitats. A

boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of bridge ...

enables views of pools and marshland. There are a wildlife garden and display gardens, and a

sensory garden A sensory garden is a self-contained garden area that allows visitors to enjoy a wide variety of sensory experiences. Sensory gardens are designed to provide opportunities to stimulate the senses, both individually and in combination, in ways that ...

. The paths and boardwalk are suitable for wheelchair users."Explore The Wolseley Centre grounds"
''Staffordshire Wildlife Trust''. Retrieved 27 April 2020.

References

{{reflist Nature reserves in Staffordshire Tourist attractions in Staffordshire Visitor centres in England Nature centres in England