List of local nature reserves in Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire is a county in eastern England, with an area of 1,308 square miles (3,390 km2) and a population as of 2011 of 708,719. It is crossed by two major rivers, the Nene and the Great Ouse. The main manufacturing area is Peterborough, and the foundation of the University of Cambridge in the thirteenth century made the county one of the country's most important intellectual centres. A large part of the county is in The Fens, and drainage of this habitat, which was probably commenced in the Roman period and largely completed by the seventeenth century, considerably increased the area available for agriculture.[1]

Byron's Pool

The administrative county was formed in 1974, incorporating most of the historic county of Huntingdonshire.[1] Local government is divided between Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, which is a separate unitary authority. Under the county council, there are five district councils, Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and Fenland District Council.[2]

Local nature reserves (LNRs) are designated by local authorities, which must have legal control over the site, by owning it, leasing it or having an agreement with the owner. LNRs are sites which have a special local interest biologically, geologically or for education. Local authorities can either manage sites themselves or through other groups such as "friends of" and wildlife trusts, and can apply local bye-laws to manage and protect LNRs.[3]

There are twenty-seven LNRs in Cambridgeshire.[4] Four are Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and five are managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. The largest is Little Paxton Pits at sixty hectares, which is of national importance for wintering wildfowl,[5] and the smallest is St Denis Churchyard, East Hatley, which has grassland with diverse flowers.[6] There is public access to all sites.

Key

Other classifications

Sites
Site Photograph Area[lower-alpha 1] Location[lower-alpha 2] Borough Other classifications Map[lower-alpha 3] Details[lower-alpha 4] Description
Barnwell East 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres) Cambridge
52.203°N 0.161°E / 52.203; 0.161 (Barnwell East)
TL 478 583		 Cambridge Map Details The site has woodland, a pond, scrub and grassland. Flora include blackthorns, hawthorns and bee orchids, there are birds such as blackcaps and willow warblers, and common blue and meadow brown butterflies.[8]
Barnwell West 3.8 hectares (9.4 acres) Cambridge
52.204°N 0.161°E / 52.204; 0.161 (Barnwell II West)
TL 478 584		 Cambridge Map Details This is a linear site along Coldhams Brook, which is managed to encourage water voles. There are birds such as kingfishers, redwings and fieldfares, and butterflies include speckled woods and orange tips.[9]
Beechwoods 9.8 hectares (24 acres) Cambridge
52.167°N 0.170°E / 52.167; 0.170 (The Beechwoods)
TL 485 545		 Cambridge WTBCN[10] Map Details Beeches were planted on chalky farmland in the 1840s, and medieval plough terraces are still visible. Birds include green and great spotted woodpeckers, and nuthatches.[10]
The Boardwalks 7.8 hectares (19 acres) Peterborough
52.569°N 0.260°W / 52.569; -0.260 (The Boardwalks)
TL 180 982		 Peterborough Map Details The site runs along the north bank of the River Nene. It has ponds with water beetles, frogs, toads and smooth newts. Bats nest in large willows, and birds include herons and woodpeckers.[11]
Bramblefields 2.1 hectares (5.2 acres) Cambridge
52.224°N 0.154°E / 52.224; 0.154 (Bramblefields)
TL 472 606		 Cambridge Map Details This site in the middle of a residential area has grassland, scrub and a pond with vertebrates (amphibians) such as frogs and newts. Birds include song thrushes.[12]
Byron's Pool 4.4 hectares (11 acres) Grantchester
52.1714°N 0.1000°E / 52.1714; 0.1000 (Byron's Pool)
TL 461 542		 Cambridge Map Details The site is named after Lord Byron, who used to swim in the pool. It is a linear pond and woodland next to the River Cam. Birds include little grebes and grey wagtails, and there are frogs, butterflies, damselflies and dragonflies.[13]
Coldham's Common 49.3 hectares (122 acres) Cambridge
52.206°N 0.153°E / 52.206; 0.153 (Coldham's Common)
TL 472 586		 Cambridge Map Details This site has areas of unimproved grassland, with anthills of yellow meadow ants.[14] There is also scrub and woodland. Flora includes spiny rest harrow, upright brome and bee orchid.[15]
Dogsthorpe Star Pit 36.7 hectares (91 acres) Peterborough
52.608°N 0.210°W / 52.608; -0.210 (Dogsthorpe Star Pit)
TF 213 026		 Peterborough SSSI,[16] WTBCN[17] Map Details This former brick pit has been designated an SSSI mainly for its invertebrates, especially its water beetles, with 64 species, including 4 on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Graptodytes bilineatus, Dryops similaris, Gyrinus distinctus and Myopites inulaedyssentericae.[16]
Eye Green 12.0 hectares (30 acres) Eye Green
52.614°N 0.185°W / 52.614; -0.185 (Eye Green)
TF 230 034		 Peterborough Map Details This site was formerly brick workings, and a large area is now filled by a lake. Reeds and scrub line much of the shore, providing cover for water birds such coots and moorhens, while dunnocks and great tits nest in dense scrub. There is grassland with many flowers, and diverse invertebrate species.[18]
Grimeshaw Wood 16.8 hectares (42 acres) Peterborough
52.594°N 0.289°W / 52.594; -0.289 (Grimeshaw Wood)
TF 160 010		 Peterborough Map Details This site is ancient woodland in three adjacent areas. Flora include nettle-leaved bellflowers, and there are resident pipistrelle bats.[19]
Isleham 1.1 hectares (2.7 acres) Isleham
52.328°N 0.402°E / 52.328; 0.402 (Isleham)
TL 637 726		 East Cambridgeshire Map Details This is a stretch of a former railway line. It is grassland and hedgerows with a wide variety of fauna and flora. There are flowering plants such as field scabious, greater knapweed, St John's wort, wild marjoram and bladder campion.[20]
Kingston and Bourn Old Railway 1.9 hectares (4.7 acres) Toft
52.185°N 0.043°W / 52.185; -0.043 (Kingston and Bourn Old Railway)
TL 339 559		 South Cambridgeshire Map Details The sides of this old railway bank are woodland, with ash, field maple and oak the main trees, while the top of the bank is unimproved grassland.[21] There is also an area of wetland with mature pollarded willows.[22]
Lattersey Field 11.9 hectares (29 acres) Whittlesey
52.552°N 0.111°W / 52.552; -0.111 (Lattersey Field)
TL 282 966		 Fenland WTBCN[23] Map Details This former clay brick quarry has pits which have filled with water, and it has diverse habitats of grassland, woodland, scrub, pools, marshes and reedbeds. Mammals includes water voles, water shrews, and there are birds such as sedge warblers, tawny owls, woodcocks, great spotted woodpeckers and reed buntings.[23][24]
Limekiln Close and East Pit 11.0 hectares (27 acres)[25] Cherry Hinton
52.182°N 0.171°E / 52.182; 0.171 (Limekiln Close and East Pit)
TL 485 560		 Cambridge SSSI,[26] WTBCN[25] N/Av[lower-alpha 5] N/Av[lower-alpha 5] The two parts of the site are both former chalk quarries. East Pit is surrounded by steep walls of chalk, and the base is wildflower grassland with areas of scrub. Flowers include millkwort, harebell, kidney vetch and the rare moon carrot, which is on the British Red List of Threatened Species. Quarrying ceased 200 years ago in Limekiln Close, and it is now steeply sloping mature woodland with ash and cherry trees.[32][25]
Little Downham 6.6 hectares (16 acres) Little Downham
52.427°N 0.234°E / 52.427; 0.234 (Little Downham)
TL 524 834		 East Cambridgeshire Map Details The site consists of three areas of land, Pingle Wood, Myles Meadow and The Holts. Myles Meadow has two ponds and is seasonally grazed by cattle. Holts Meadow has a pond with many dragonflies and damselflies, including the emperor and scarce chaser dragonflies.[34]
Little Paxton Pits 60.0 hectares (148 acres) Little Paxton
52.258°N 0.243°W / 52.258; -0.243 (Little Paxton Pits)
TL 200 637		 Huntingdonshire SSSI[5] Map Details These flooded former gravel pits are of national importance for wintering wildfowl, especially gadwalls. There are several nationally rare flies, such as Spilogona scutulata and Lispocephala falculata. Flora include common spotted-orchids and hare’s-foot clover.[5]
Logan's Meadow 1.1 hectares (2.7 acres) Cambridge
52.212°N 0.141°E / 52.212; 0.141 (Logan's Meadow)
TL 463 592		 Cambridge Map Details This site of the bank of the River Cam has pasture with tortoiseshell and comma butterflies, and flowers such as cow parsley and cuckoo flowers. Starling roost in trees in the autumn, and there are freshwater mussels in the river.[35]
Mare Fen 16.3 hectares (40 acres) Swavesey
52.309°N 0.002°E / 52.309; 0.002 (Mare Fen)
TL 366 698		 South Cambridgeshire Map Details This pasture in the floodplain of the River Great Ouse is used for grazing in the summer and allowed to flood in the winter. It has wildfowl such as mute swans, wigeons, teal and shovelers, mammals include badgers and muntjac deer. There are diverse aquatic plants.[36]
Melwood 0.6 hectares (1.5 acres) Meldreth
52.095°N 0.011°E / 52.095; 0.011 (Melwood)
TL 378 459		 South Cambridgeshire Map Details This is a woodland site next to the River Mel, with trees such as ash, hawthorn, sycamore, beech and silver birch. Ground flora include dog violet and cow parsley, while traveller's joy provides food for moths. Tawny owls and pipistrelle bats roost on ivy.[37]
Nine Wells 1.2 hectares (3.0 acres) Great Shelford
52.167°N 0.135°E / 52.167; 0.135 (Nine Wells)
TL 461 542		 Cambridge Map Details The springs in this beech wood feed Hobson's Conduit, which formerly supplied clean drinking water to Cambridge. It was previously an SSSI for its rare invertebrates, but these were lost during the drought of 1976 and it forfeited its SSSI status. 108 species of flora have been recorded.[38]
Paradise 2.2 hectares (5.4 acres) Cambridge
52.194°N 0.114°E / 52.194; 0.114 (Paradise)
TL 446 572		 Cambridge Map Details This site on the west bank of the River Cam has marshland and wet woodland with mature willows. Flora include butterbur, and the reserve has the uncommon musk beetle, which lays its eggs in the willows.[39]
Ring's End 8.5 hectares (21 acres) March
52.595°N 0.069°E / 52.595; 0.069 (Ring’s End)
TF 402 017		 Fenland Map Details This is a linear site along a disused railway embankment, with views over The Fens. There are also three ponds, reedbeds and areas of scrub.[40] The soil is poor in nutrients, which has allowed uncommon flowering plants such as coltsfoot to become established.[41]
Sheep's Green and Coe Fen 16.9 hectares (42 acres) Cambridge
52.197°N 0.116°E / 52.197; 0.116 (Sheep's Green and Coe Fen)
TL 447 575		 Cambridge Map Details These seasonally flooded grazing grounds on the banks of the River Cam have waterfowl such as egrets, kingfishers and herons, and water voles are increasing in numbers. There are a number of mature willow trees.[42]
Somersham 8.9 hectares (22 acres) Somersham
52.384°N 0.006°E / 52.384; 0.006 (Somersham)
TL 366 781		 Huntingdonshire Map Details Habitats in this reserve are a lake, wetland, grassland and woodland. Vertebrates include reptiles such as grass snakes and common lizards, there are birds such as great crested grebes, and flora such as red bartsia and purple loosestrife.[43]
St Denis Church (footprint of church only) 0.02 hectares (0.05 acres) Hatley
52.138°N 0.124°W / 52.138; -0.124 (St Denis Church)
TL 285 505		 South Cambridgeshire Map Details The churchyard is mainly neutral grassland, but some is calcareous, and its grasses and flowers are diverse.[6] Flowers include hoary plantain, rough hawkbit and oxlip.[44]
West Pit 4.3 hectares (11 acres)[31][45] Cherry Hinton
52.182°N 0.169°E / 52.182; 0.169 (West Pit)
TL 483 559		 Cambridge SSSI[26] N/Av[lower-alpha 5] N/Av[lower-alpha 5] This former chalk quarry is now steeply sloping woodland with a caravan park in the centre. The woodland has been designated an SSSI due to the presence of a plant on the British Red List of Threatened Species, the moon carrot.[26][46]
Woodston Ponds 8.9 hectares (22 acres) Peterborough
52.568°N 0.264°W / 52.568; -0.264 (Woodston Ponds)
TL 177 980		 Peterborough WTBCN[47] Map Details The site was formerly settling ponds to remove washings from sugar beet. The east side has a lake with water birds such as grey herons, tufted ducks and pochards. In the west there is a reedbed which has pools and channels, with great crested newts and unusual species of water beetle.[47]

See also

Notes
  1. Unless otherwise stated, the area is taken from the Natural England map of each site. (Click on the identify icon (i) in the "Feature Tools" and then click on the site.)[7]
  2. The location is taken from the Natural England details page for the site.
  3. The maps are on the Natural England database of Local Nature Reserves.
  4. Details are on the pages on each site in the Natural England database of Local Nature Reserves.[7]
  5. Three adjacent chalk pits in Cherry Hinton are nature reserves; East Pit and West Pit are separated by Limekiln Road, and the third pit called Limekiln Close is north of East Pit. Cambridge City Council have designated Limekiln Close and East Pit as one LNR, and West Pit as another one.[26][27] However, the LNRs are confused on the Natural England website. One LNR is shown as Limekiln Close and West Pit on the details page,[28] but the map only covers Limekiln Close.[29] The other LNR is shown on the details page as East Pit,[30] whereas the map covers both East and West Pits.[31] To add to the confusion, East and West Pits are designated an SSSI called Cherry Hinton Pit,[32][33] and Limekiln Close and East Pit are managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire as a nature reserve called Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits.[25]

References
  1. "Cambridgeshire". Encyclopedia Britannica. 2013. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  2. "Local government in Cambridgeshire". Cambridgeshire County Council. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  3. "Local Nature Reserves: Setting up and Management". Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Natural England. 2 October 2014. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  4. "Search Results for Cambridgeshire". Natural England. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  5. "Little Paxton Pits citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  6. "St Denis Church (footprint of church only)". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  7. "Local Nature Reserves: Search Results for Cambridgeshire". Natural England. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  8. "Barnwell East". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  9. "Barnwell II West". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  10. "Beechwoods". Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  11. "The Boardwalks". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  12. "Bramblefields". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  13. "Byron's Pool". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  14. "Coldham's Common". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  15. "Coldham's Common". Cambridge City Council. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  16. "Dogsthorpe Star Pit citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  17. "Dogsthorpe Star Pit". Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  18. "Eye Green". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  19. "Grimeshaw Wood". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  20. "Isleham". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  21. "Kingston and Bourn Old Railway". Cambridgeshire County Council. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  22. "Kingston and Bourn Old Railway". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  23. "Lattersey". Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  24. "Lattersey Field". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  25. "Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits". Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  26. "West Pit". Cambridge City Council. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  27. "Limekiln Close and East Pit Local Nature Reserve". Cambridge City Council. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  28. "Limekiln Close and West Pit". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  29. "Map of Limekiln Close and West Pit". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  30. "East Pit". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 25 November 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  31. "Map of East Pit". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  32. "Cherry Hinton Pit citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  33. "Map of Cherry Hinton Pit". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  34. "Little Downham". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  35. "Logan's Meadow". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  36. "Mare Fen". Cambridgeshire County Council. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  37. "Local Nature Reserves : Melwood". Cambridgeshire County Council. Archived from the original on 23 July 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  38. "Nine Wells LNR, Summary Management Plan, 2007-2007" (PDF). Cambridge City Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  39. "Paradise". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  40. "Ring's End". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  41. "Local Nature Reserves : Ring's End". Cambridgeshire County Council. Archived from the original on 23 July 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  42. "Sheep's Green and Coe Fen". Cambridge City Council. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  43. "Somersham". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  44. "The Wildlife Importance of St. Denis' Churchyard CWS" (PDF). Cambridgeshire County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  45. "Map of Cherry Hinton Pit, unit 1". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original on 25 November 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  46. "Cherry Hinton Pit citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  47. "Woodston Ponds". Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.

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