National Nature Reserves (NNRs) were established to protect the most important areas of wildlife habitat and geological formations in Britain, and as places for scientific research. This does not mean they are 'no-go areas' for people, but that we must be careful not to damage the wildlife of these fragile places.

NNRs contain some of the most important natural and semi-natural terrestrial and coastal ecosystems in Britain. They are managed to conserve their habitats or to provide special opportunities for scientific study of the habitats, communities and species represented within them. NNRs are declared by the statutory country conservation agencies under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In Northern Ireland Nature Reserves are designated under the Amenity Lands Act (Northern Ireland) 1965. Designated for their national or international importance for nature conservation, they are all SSSIs owned by or managed under agreement with the relevant country conservation agency. 

In England alone there are some 45 National Nature Reserves (NNRs) with nationally important geological interests. Some, such as Wren's Nest NNR in Dudley, have been been declared as NNRs primarily or exclusively for their geological interests. Others, such as Lindisfarne NNR, have been declared primarily for their biological interests but also contain important geological features.

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