Skipwith Common NNR 2013
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
take over the whole common. whole the over take airfield was abandoned and woodland started to started woodland and abandoned was airfield stored bombs from the weather. After the war, the war, the After weather. the from bombs stored used to tie down the tarpaulins that protected the protected that tarpaulins the down tie to used the brickwork on the Bomb Bays loop. These were These loop. Bays Bomb the on brickwork the taking over. Look for the metal rings attached to attached rings metal the for Look over. taking Common sundew © Steve Hiner Nightjar © Natural England Nightjar © Natural storage bays are still visible, although wildlife is wildlife although visible, still are bays storage during World War II. Today the runways and bomb and runways the Today II. War World during to train pilots to fly bombing missions over Germany over missions bombing fly to pilots train to An airfield was built on Skipwith Common in 1942, in Common Skipwith on built was airfield An Riccall aerodrome Riccall Skipwith Common. Skipwith with Natural England and the Friends of Friends the and England Natural with and managed by Escrick Park Estate, in conjunction in Estate, Park Escrick by managed and Today, the site is a National Nature Reserve owned Reserve Nature National a is site the Today, Skipwith Common © Natural England Skipwith Common © Natural site. the on ponds many the created has peat gorse, and cutting turf and peat for fuel. This digging This fuel. for peat and turf cutting and gorse, open by people grazing their animals, taking birch, taking animals, their grazing people by open For thousands of years the heathland was kept was heathland the years of thousands For mean there are good paths to use all year round. year all use to paths good are there mean use during the Second World War. These features These War. World Second the during use features as well as much evidence of its more recent more its of evidence much as well as features common is dotted with Bronze and Iron Age Iron and Bronze with dotted is common of its use by man for at least 4000 years. The years. 4000 least at for man by use its of the same for thousands of years – with evidence with – years of thousands for same the ’ s heathland has stayed almost stayed has heathland s Skipwith Common Skipwith with its roots in pre-history. in roots its with heath, ponds and mire is an ancient landscape, ancient an is mire and ponds heath, Common for their survival. The 270ha of open of 270ha The survival. their for Common variety of plants and animals depend on the on depend animals and plants of variety of northern lowland heath in England. An incredible An England. in heath lowland northern of s one of the last remaining areas remaining last the of one s i Common Skipwith National Nature Reserve Nature National Introducing Skipwith Common Skipwith Introducing How do I get to Skipwith Common NNR? To York Skipwith Common National Nature Reserve Front cover image: Cross-leaved heath © Theresa Gittins Further information Escrick Park Estate: 01904 728252 [email protected] Friends of Skipwith Common: www.friendsofskipwithcommon.org.uk [email protected] Lower Derwent Valley and Skipwith Common National Nature Reserves Office, Bank Island, Church Lane, Wheldrake, North Yorkshire YO19 6FE Find out more at www.naturalengland.org.uk/skipwithcommonnnr or by calling the Natural England switchboard on 0845 600 3078 (local rate) Natural England is here to secure a healthy natural environment for people to enjoy, where wildlife is Longhorn © Peter Roworth protected and England’s traditional landscapes are safeguarded for future generations. ISBN 978-1-84754-279-3 Catalogue Code: NE411 www.naturalengland.org.uk Natural England publications are available as accessible PDFs from: www.naturalengland.org.uk/publications Should an alternative format of this publication be required, please contact our enquiries line for more information: 0845 600 3078 or email Site management [email protected] Printed on stock comprising 75% recycled fibre. Longhorn cattle, Hebridean sheep and Exmoor This note/report/publication is published by Natural ponies graze the site, helping to reduce coarse England under the Open Government Licence for public grasses, scrub and tree saplings on the heath and sector information. You are encouraged to use, and reuse, information subject allowing small wildflowers and insects to thrive. to certain conditions. Wetter areas are kept from scrubbing over and For details of the licence visit larger, woodier scrub is removed by hand. This low www.naturalengland.org.uk/copyright Natural England photographs are only available for non- level management to conserve the habitats occurs commercial purposes. If any other information, such as in rotation, with deadwood purposefully left for maps or data, cannot be used commercially this will be made clear within the note/report/publication. lizards and invertebrates. © Natural England 2013 take over the whole common. whole the over take airfield was abandoned and woodland started to started woodland and abandoned was airfield stored bombs from the weather. After the war, the war, the After weather. the from bombs stored used to tie down the tarpaulins that protected the protected that tarpaulins the down tie to used the brickwork on the Bomb Bays loop. These were These loop. Bays Bomb the on brickwork the taking over. Look for the metal rings attached to attached rings metal the for Look over. taking Common sundew © Steve Hiner Nightjar © Natural England Nightjar © Natural storage bays are still visible, although wildlife is wildlife although visible, still are bays storage during World War II. Today the runways and bomb and runways the Today II. War World during to train pilots to fly bombing missions over Germany over missions bombing fly to pilots train to An airfield was built on Skipwith Common in 1942, in Common Skipwith on built was airfield An Riccall aerodrome Riccall Skipwith Common. Skipwith with Natural England and the Friends of Friends the and England Natural with and managed by Escrick Park Estate, in conjunction in Estate, Park Escrick by managed and Today, the site is a National Nature Reserve owned Reserve Nature National a is site the Today, Skipwith Common © Natural England Skipwith Common © Natural site. the on ponds many the created has peat gorse, and cutting turf and peat for fuel. This digging This fuel. for peat and turf cutting and gorse, open by people grazing their animals, taking birch, taking animals, their grazing people by open For thousands of years the heathland was kept was heathland the years of thousands For mean there are good paths to use all year round. year all use to paths good are there mean use during the Second World War. These features These War. World Second the during use features as well as much evidence of its more recent more its of evidence much as well as features common is dotted with Bronze and Iron Age Iron and Bronze with dotted is common of its use by man for at least 4000 years. The years. 4000 least at for man by use its of the same for thousands of years – with evidence with – years of thousands for same the ’ s heathland has stayed almost stayed has heathland s Skipwith Common Skipwith with its roots in pre-history. in roots its with heath, ponds and mire is an ancient landscape, ancient an is mire and ponds heath, Common for their survival. The 270ha of open of 270ha The survival. their for Common variety of plants and animals depend on the on depend animals and plants of variety of northern lowland heath in England. An incredible An England. in heath lowland northern of s one of the last remaining areas remaining last the of one s i Common Skipwith National Nature Reserve Nature National Introducing Skipwith Common Skipwith Introducing How do I get to Skipwith Common NNR? To York Skipwith Common National Nature Reserve Front cover image: Cross-leaved heath © Theresa Gittins Further information Escrick Park Estate: 01904 728252 [email protected] Friends of Skipwith Common: www.friendsofskipwithcommon.org.uk [email protected] Lower Derwent Valley and Skipwith Common National Nature Reserves Office, Bank Island, Church Lane, Wheldrake, North Yorkshire YO19 6FE Find out more at www.naturalengland.org.uk/skipwithcommonnnr or by calling the Natural England switchboard on 0845 600 3078 (local rate) Natural England is here to secure a healthy natural environment for people to enjoy, where wildlife is Longhorn © Peter Roworth protected and England’s traditional landscapes are safeguarded for future generations. ISBN 978-1-84754-279-3 Catalogue Code: NE411 www.naturalengland.org.uk Natural England publications are available as accessible PDFs from: www.naturalengland.org.uk/publications Should an alternative format of this publication be required, please contact our enquiries line for more information: 0845 600 3078 or email Site management [email protected] Printed on stock comprising 75% recycled fibre. Longhorn cattle, Hebridean sheep and Exmoor This note/report/publication is published by Natural ponies graze the site, helping to reduce coarse England under the Open Government Licence for public grasses, scrub and tree saplings on the heath and sector information. You are encouraged to use, and reuse, information subject allowing small wildflowers and insects to thrive. to certain conditions. Wetter areas are kept from scrubbing over and For details of the licence visit larger, woodier scrub is removed by hand. This low www.naturalengland.org.uk/copyright Natural England photographs are only available for non- level management to conserve the habitats occurs commercial purposes. If any other information, such as in rotation, with deadwood purposefully left for maps or data, cannot be used commercially this will be made clear within the note/report/publication.