Paxton Pits Nature Reserve Brochure And

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PPNR A3 Leaflet 2013_Paxton Pits Doc 18/05/2013 18:14 Page 2

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FACILITIES Paxton Pits Nature Reserve can be found in the village ofCount : y b managed is e v r Rese e r

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At Paxton Pits Nature Reserve you can enjoy LOOK OUT FOR THE WILDLIFE… A VISION FOR THE FUTURE gentle strolls as well as longer walks through Following further gravel extraction over the next 77 hectares of lakes, meadow, grassland, decade, there are plans to expand Paxton Pits Nature scrub and woodland. Reserve from 77 hectares to more than 280 hectares, FOLLOW WELL MARKED TRAILS… making the Reserve more than 3 ½ times the size. Two circular trails are described in this leaflet. To help The plans include a new 24 hectare reedbed, extra you follow the routes there are coloured waymarks and lakes and islands, wildflower rich grassland and rare wet woodland habitat as well as new areas of managed numbered posts which start from the Nature Reserve Peacock Butterfly car park. Please respect the Nature Reserve by staying scrub for our breeding Nightingales. With 27km of on the paths and keeping your dog under control. footpaths and, finally, a new circular cycleway, this extension to Paxton Pits will provide space for people THE HERON TRAIL Kingfisher and wildlife well into the future. 1 3.2km (2 miles) - 1 /2 hours To find out more about these exciting plans, please ask The first mile is a hard surfaced track suitable for in the Visitors’ Centre or look on the website. Bee wheelchairs, pushchairs and all season walking. Most Orchid manual wheelchairs and pushchairs can use the kissing Brown gate, while larger wheelchairs can gain access using a Hawker VOLUNTARY WARDENS REQUIRED Dragonfly RADAR key. If you like meeting people and enjoy Paxton Pits why not become a Voluntary Warden. THE MEADOW TRAIL You can play a big part in making the Reserve more 2.4km (11/2 miles) – 1 hour enjoyable for other visitors by manning the Visitors’ Some of the paths become quite muddy in winter and Centre, talking to visitors and serving light during wet weather. The steps and squeeze gate at point refreshments. 8 are due to be replaced in the future with a ramp suitable for wheelchairs. Interested? Then contact the Rangers at the Visitors’ Great Kestrel Crested Centre on phone: 01480 406795. PLAN YOUR OWN ROUTE… Grebe Using the map inside you can plan your own walk. JOIN THE FRIENDS OF As well as the Heron and Meadow Trails, the River Trail, Brimstone PAXTON PITS NATURE RESERVE and some of the permissive paths surrounding Paxton Pits are also waymarked. The permissive paths are not Enjoyed your visit? Then why not help to part of the reserve but the landowners have given make Paxton Pits a better place for permission for them to be used. wildlife and people. You can find out more about the wildlife at The Friends raise funds, promote the Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, forthcoming events THE RIVER TRAIL reserve and help with valuable and lots more from the website at: This trail follows the route of the Ouse Valley Way conservation work. www.paxton-pits.org.uk PERMISSIVE PATHS Sponsored by the Become a member of the Friends and support your Friends of Paxton Pits Nature Reserve Local Nature Reserve. Ask in the Visitors’ Centre for

more information. PPNR A3 Leaflet 2013_Paxton Pits Doc 18/05/2013 18:14 Page 2 Page 18:14 18/05/2013 Doc Pits 2013_Paxton Leaflet A3 PPNR Welcome to Paxton Pits Nature Reserve 77 hectares of lakes, meadow, grassland, scrub and woodland next to the River Great Ouse where you can enjoy a wealth of wildlife all year Hawthorn round. Whether you are painting the scenery with watercolours, birdwatching or walking the dog, we hope you enjoy your visit.

Buff-tip THE HERON TRAIL Moth This marks the site of a Victorian house called ‘Wray The trail now goes through a thicket of House’. All that remains now are some garden trees and Bramble, Hawthorn and Willow. The old 3.2km (2 miles) - 1 1/ 2 hours walk 6 11 A circular walk past lakes, through woodland shrubs such as Lavender, Periwinkle, Douglas Fir and Willow trees covered in Ivy are a haven for and along the riverbank with plenty of water Norway Spruce. Butterflies and moths like this sheltered wildlife, supporting more than 250 different types of insects. birds to see along the way. Three bird hides are glade and Goldcrests are often seen in the Conifer trees. convenient stopping off places where you can see the As the path turns to the left, you will have a good view of Cormorants and Herons roosting on the islands. Take a slight detour along a narrow path to visit the 12 Washout Pit on your right. Look out for Common Terns 7 Kingfisher bird hide where you can see both along the sandy margins of this lake during the summer. To start the Heron Trail, cross the footbridge at the edge of Heronry North and Heronry South Lakes. Continue straight ahead past the gravel workings, taking the car park and walk straight ahead. Carefully cross the 1 care of moving lorries. Upon reaching a field, turn left road at the bend and go through the kissing gate to Follow the path past the arable fields 13 along a grassy track beside the road. follow the waymarks. 8 which are managed with wildlife in mind. Continue to the point where the Heron Trail meets Geese often graze in the arable fields to your right. You Heronry Lake to your left is the the Ouse Valley Way long distance footpath. Goldcrest may also see Lapwings and Golden Plover too. 2 oldest gravel pit in the Reserve 14 and attracts lots of wildfowl. The Nightingale You can join the River Trail here by turning right towards the river to After crossing the brook there is a permissive path to the Environmental Education Centre is 9 follow the blue waymarks. Use the map to plan your route. right. To deviate from the Heron Trail at this point to walk behind the hedge on your right. Lots of school To continue on the Heron Trail turn left across the brook where you 15 around the Sailing Lake, follow the black waymarks along this path. parties visit the Nature Reserve every year. may find Bittersweet, a plant with purple and yellow flowers and poisonous red berries, which likes damp areas. Rosebay Willowherb To follow the Heron Trail, continue straight ahead on the main road past a woodland on your right. Replanting in the wood The large pond to your left is part of the Environmental and Yellow Iris also like this wet area. is improving its value for wildlife. A track Education Area. The track off to the right, signposted with black 3 on the left takes you to Cobham Hide. waymarks, joins the River Trail which runs alongside the River Great The Heron Trail follows the River Ouse. Follow the blue waymarks for the River Trail. To continue on 10 Great Ouse through meadowland Aggregate Industries The grass track to your right, the Heron Trail do not take the permissive path but along an ancient hedgerow. During the th Works The Ouse signposted with black continue walking straight ahead. Hayden Hide is further 18 Century, a ferry carried people 16 Valley Way waymarks also takes you to the Sailing along the trail on the left and is well worth a visit between Great Paxton on the other 13 12 Lake, often a good lake for bird to see the wildfowl and Cormorants. side of the river and Little Paxton. 11 watching. Look out for butterflies along the track such as the bright yellow Brimstone, The Willow covered islands are a the Small Tortoiseshell and the Meadow Brown. favourite roosting place for Herons 4 To continue on the Heron Trail follow the road. and Cormorants. Can you see any Cormorants 14 Boat Heronry sitting with their wings held out? They are drying Cormorant North Moor To enjoy a good view of Heronry their feathers out after a dive under water. 10 Lake South Lake take a short walk away ings 17 Yellow Iris from the road along a narrow track to the This area of rough grassland interspersed with Hawthorn left. You may see Great Crested and Dog Rose bushes provides ideal feeding and nesting 5 Kingfisher Grebes at this end of the lake. They areas for Nightingales. Between the end of April and the Cobham Hide Hide 8 can move great distances under water, beginning of June male Nightingales sing to attract a mate. 15 7 9 which can make watching them People travel great distances to come and hear them. Heronry 6 Sailing Lake interesting - after a long dive they From here continue straight to the Kingfisher Hide. South Lake Marsh come up far from where you expect. 16 To return to the start of the walk KEY follow the road to the end and Heron Trail Environmental 5 Education Hayden turn right towards Paxton Pits Meadow Trail Hide Visitors’ Centre and car park. Centre Hau 4 River Trail Weedy 17 l 3

Permissive Path R Lake oa Surfaced paths d Arable Field Vole Rabbit Visitors’ 2 Field Unsurfaced paths Centre P 1 Lakes/Water eet Str gh 1 Lafarge/Redland Meadow N Hi Works Woodland 2 W E w Scrub 3 Ouse S Pond dipping platforms LITTLE PAXTON Rudd 4 Meado Farmland eat

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THE MEADOW TRAIL T Walk further down the trail, with the open o 2.4km (1 1/ 2 miles) – 1 hour walk villag water of the lake to your right and the ditch to d 7 9 8 a e A circular walk through meadows and o The your left. Can you guess which mammals might live in R 14 Beach

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It is especially good for o Dog Small G wild flowers in Rose Tortoiseshell At this point, the Meadow Trail meets the Ouse Valley 13 Hayling 10 spring and summer. Lake 10 Way. Turn left for a long circular walk back to Paxton Pits In early summer the 11 Visitors’ Centre. Use the map to plan your route. Turn right to keep 12 hedgerows and As the trail turns to the left there on the Meadow Trail. meadows are full of Wild are views across the open water of The Ouse 4 Roses and Hawthorn blossom. Valley Way Rudd Lake. Look for Mute Swans, Coot, You have really good views of Hayling Lake along this Common Mallard and Tufted Duck. 11 section of the trail. In the lake there are Roach, Tench To start the Meadow Trail follow the path through the Common Spotted and some large Carp, so it is popular with anglers. 1 kissing gate behind the Visitors’ Centre. It will take you Orchid Use the boardwalk to cross the wet meadow. The Yellow Iris on to the meadows where you can then follow the waymarks. 5 provides a lot of colour here in the summer. Can you identify The reed bed you can see is a popular nesting place for any Rushes? They have straight cylindrical stems with brown spikes 12 the Great Crested Grebe and Mute Swans. Look out for Beds of reeds up to 2 metres high, are at or near to the tip of the stem. their large floating nests in Spring. The Meadow Trail turns right 2 especially important for birds. Reed away from the Ouse Valley Way after a kissing gate. Warblers weave intricate nests out of Common Spotted Orchids grow in this area of the meadow. grasses between the reeds. 6 They have dark pink flowers in the summer time. The white In these gravel pits archaeologists discovered evidence Follow the path as it bends flowers of the tall Angelica plant attract Hover-flies 13 that people lived in this area 40,000 years ago. In Hayling round to the right around and Soldier Beetles. Fox Lake, flint tools from 10,000 years ago have been found and in the edge of the meadow. other areas of the reserve coins, pottery and brooches as well Foxes have been seen playing on this corner as remains of buildings and burials were dug up. The meadow on your right is managed 7 of the meadow. You may notice their musty 3 as a hay meadow. Grazing by cows smell on the footpaths around the reserve. Enjoy To follow the Meadow Trail, turn right and cutting for hay encourages a a rest on the seat overlooking Rudd Lake. 14through the kissing gate to pass the variety of wild flowers. Moorhens often allotments on your left. You can return to the venture away from the waterside to feed in Follow the Meadow Trail across a ditch. Hayling Lake is Visitors’ Centre by following the track as it bears right this field, along with Magpies and Crows, but at 8behind the hedgerow in front of you. The sheltered ponds here along an old hedgerow. At post number 8, go across the ditch to Reed Warbler the first sign of danger they quickly find cover. are good for dragonflies and damselflies. retrace your steps through the Meadow.