Lane End and Knowle Hill Nature Reserve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site overview

The site is situated on the fringe of Buckley and between Drury. The area is to the rear of the old Lane end brickworks site, recently demolished for residential development, and covers approximately 27 hectares (67 acres). The area has historical importance due to the industrial tramway, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and ecological importance being a SSSI, Special area of Conservation and a Site of Nature Conservation Importance. These titles are justified by the high biological diversity and the presence of the Great Crested Newt, a creature of protected European importance. There are public footpaths through the site which make up the Buckley Heritage trail which are rough gravel paths requiring good footwear and are at present not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. Knowle Hill is public access whilst the Lane End side is going to be a closed nature reserve purely for wildlife.

The site is owned by Redrow Homes who contract NEWW in to manage the ecology and restore habitat as part of their planning conditions to build residential dwellings on part of the brown field site. Extensive work is being done at Knowle Hill to restore the industrial landscape back to the prime habitat of the surrounding SSSI. This work consists of pond creation, planting woodland, invasive species removal, clearance of fly tipping deposits, litter picking and path improvement.

Key Species list

Site surveys are ongoing but an extensive list of species has developed along with introduced species to enhance the habitat. Woodland planting includes Aspen and Alder to complement Elder, Hawthorn and Guilder Rose. Common plants are Foxglove, Dock, Rosebay willowherb and Bluebells. Regular bird sightings include Blue tit, Great tit, Coal tit, Magpie, Goldfinch, Bullfinch and Jay. The hedgerows can reveal Blackcap, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Willow warbler and Treecreeper. Scarcer species include Raven, Mistle thrush, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and even a ringed plover has visited the gravel pit! Invertebrate species have increased due to pond creation and include Azure Damselfly and Emperor Dragonfly. Common butterflies are Speckled wood, Peacock, Orange tip and Gatekeeper, with rarer glimpses of Common blue and Green-veined white. Mammal species consist of Rabbit, Grey squirrel, Red fox, Mole, Common shrew and Badger. Amphibian species consist of Common toad and Great crested newt. The only reptile recorded on site to date is the Common lizard.       

Further Information

At the time of writing activities at this site are arranged as and when needed. However, there are activities throughout the year which volunteers may take part in such as litter picking, tree planting and ecological surveys, particularly winter and summer bird surveys. To get involved contact the NEWW office for details.

Recent sightings

For information on recent sightings at the site please visit us on twitter or facebook.