About Centenary Riverside Nature Reserve

Centenary Riverside is a 4.5 hectare wetland reserve nestled alongside the River Don. The site consists of a beautiful wildflower meadow bank brimming with butterflies and insects, and a series of ponds and wetlands that attract a huge variety of birds, mammals and insects.

This site is excellent for butterflies with 23 different species having been recorded, and is also home to a variety of damsel and dragonflies. Sand martins can be seen darting around in the summer and moorhens and reed warblers nest amongst the reeds.

The site was developed on one of the largest steel foundries in the area. Known as the Seven Sisters, it produced 550,000 tons of steel a year. But when the foundry closed in 1993, the site became overgrown. In 2006, Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust took over the wasteland and transformed it into a wildlife haven.

The site’s industrial heritage has not been forgotten and glimpses of the past can be seen around site; from ‘Steel Henge’, to the concrete building foundations, now key island habitats for many important species such as kingfisher.

Centenary Riverside also plays a key role in Rotherham’s future; designed as a floodplain, it forms part of Rotherham’s flood alleviation scheme which holds back potential flood water and protects industrial and residential areas nearby.

If you need to get in touch with us about Centenary Riverside, please email us or call us on 0114 263 4335.

Volunteer Work Days

Regular volunteer days on site – come along for a whole day, or join us for an hour.

Practical volunteer days at Centenary Riverside are held on the second Monday of every month. Tasks vary from footpath improvements and access work, to habitat and vegetation management. All volunteer days start at 10am and finish at 3pm. Gloves, tools, and refreshments are provided, but please wear suitable outdoor clothes and boots, and bring some lunch and drinking water if you’re able to join us for the whole day. Meet at the entrance to the reserve on Riverside Way at 10am.

For more details about our next volunteer work day, visit our events page.

Find out more about volunteering with Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust.

Thank You

Together with our members and volunteers we take care of 15 nature reserves, including Centenary Riverside, spanning almost 600 hectares, across Sheffield and Rotherham. These are places where you can enjoy nature and where our conservation work helps the wildlife you love to thrive.

Your donations make it possible for us to care for Centenary Riverside nature reserve. Thank you!