About the reserve

This nature reserve’s best feature is the large pool, originally created through mining subsidence, that now attracts over 90 species of birds, many of which breed here including grebes, warblers and water rail. The lake is vital for overwintering birds and is a regular haunt for tufted duck, shoveler and snipe. Please note, fishing is not allowed on this site.

At the pool’s gently sloping edges willow, reed, bulrush and reed canary-grass grow, providing excellent cover for wildlife. Purple-loosestrife and yellow iris bring a splash of summer colour. To the east and west the swamp gradually dries from marshy to rough grassland. Meadowsweet, great willowherb and meadow crane’s-bill flourish here. The northern woodland is dominated by sycamore and horse chestnut and is valuable for songbirds such as tits and finches. Several nationally notable invertebrates have been recorded here, with surveys identifying hundreds of species of beetle.

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