Old Sulehay Nature Reserve is made up of a History mosaic of limestone quarries, grassland, Old Sulehay Forest and the adjacent old quarry woodland and wetland habitats. The nature (Stonepit Close) were purchased by the Trust in reserve covers over 210 acres making it one 2001. The nature reserve was extended in 2002 of the largest Wildlife Trust nature reserves with the acquisition of land in the area known as in Northamptonshire. Ring Haw, with an aim to saving these important wildlife habitats from further mineral extraction Part of the nature reserve, Old Sulehay Forest, and development. has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the woodlands varied Old Sulehay Forest is a fragment geology and, therefore, vegetation which of the ancient Rockingham Forest, a attracts a wide variety of birds royal hunting forest that extended and invertebrates. from Wansford to Kettering. The majority of the rest of the nature Designation as a SSSI reserve has historically been is primarily a legal associated with quarrying mechanism to activities. Stonepit Close was exploited for its protect sites that limestone, with areas of Ring Haw being part of a are of conservation larger quarry for limestone, ironstone and silica clay. Remains of the former railway track beds and interest because of sidings which were used to transport the quarry the wildlife they products can still be seen. The area known as the support. “Calcining Banks” was used to refine the extracted iron ore, which after burning here for 3 months produced the semi finished raw material known as calcined ore. These quarry activities have resulted in the landscape, important wildlife habitats and their associated species that we see today. Ring Haw Quarry Grassland Nettle-leaved bellflower Green woodpecker Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough Wildlife Trust THE We hope you enjoy your visit TRUSTS Access If you would like more information about this reserve or about how you can support us please Welcome to The main access points are via; bridleways leading contact the Reserves Manager, The Wildlife Trust, from the Wansford road between Wansford and Lings House, Billing Lings, Northampton NN3 8BE Yarwell, the bridleway and footpaths leaving the or telephone (01604) 405285. E-mail: Sulehay Road between Yarwell and Kingscliffe and [email protected] Old Sulehay the byway and footpaths leading from the Apethorpe Road. Please do not obstruct any of the gateways when parking. Bring stout footwear as the ground across the reserve is uneven and can be wet and slippery. Please follow the country code at all times. As a result of quarrying there are several steep drops at Acknowledgements the edge of the reserve, we would therefore ask that visitors keep to marked paths where possible and keep dogs on leads. Thank You. How to find the reserve OS Grid Reference TL 05 98 From the A47 or A605 take the Wansford road which runs between Fotheringhay and Wansford, through Nassington and Yarwell. On reaching the cross roads at the village of Yarwell turn onto the Alan Evans Memorial Trust Sulehay Road. Parking is limited, but the most Bernard Sunley Charitable Trust suitable places to park are in the lay-bys along the BSS International length of the Sulehay Road. From here access can Chadwyck Healey Charitable Trust be gained to the nature reserve by the various Maud Elkington Charitable Trust Public Rights of Way. Peter Smith Charitable Trust Restore UK Further Information The Hamamelis Trust Your local Wildlife Trust protects wildlife and Local people who gave generously to the appeal countryside for people to enjoy in Bedfordshire, to buy this reserve Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough. We are a charity dependant on voluntary contributions. www.wildlifebcnp.org Photographs by Richard Revels, illustrations Mike Langman The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Protecting Wildlife close to home Northamptonshire and Peterborough. Registered charity no: 1000412 What to look out for and how the Trust cares for this nature reserve Quarries, Grassland and Scrub To Wansford The limestone grasslands in the disused quarries at Old Sulehay are a very rare resource nationally. This habitat supports a rich assemblage of wild flowers and has a diversity in structure from scrub, through grass to bare ansford Road ground, which in turn W supports many different invertebrates, such as Old Sulehay Forest green tiger beetles. To Kingscliffe These are high speed To Yarwell hunters which like the sun-warmed sandy bare ground. Glow worms, Green tiger beetle To Yarwell whose larvae feed on snails can be Stonepit seen in June, in the longer grass. The females Close glow green at dusk to attract the adult males. Many of the wild flowers present are rare within this county and include ploughman’s-spikenard, wild thyme, viper’s bugloss, common cudweed Suleh and yellow-wort. As you walk you will see a wide ay Road range of butterflies, such as common blue, brown To Yarwell argus and dingy skipper. On the warm spring days of May look out for the energetic and restless grizzled skipper butterfly in Stonepit Close, on the Key disused railway lines or at the Scrub calcining banks. Ring Haw Deciduous woodland The areas of scrub in Dry grassland and around the grasslands and quarries Fen/reedbed support several bird species, Reserve path such as whitethroat and Key Grizzled skipper To Yarwell Reserve boundary bullfinch. Listen out for the soft Scrub Road musical purring of the turtle Public bridlewayDeciduous woodland dove and the maniacal ringing Sammock's Hill Byway laugh of the green woodpecker Dry grassland Ring Haw Lodge in the summer months. Hedgerow Fen/reedbed Inclusive route In order to maintain the varied Reserve path Reserve entrance habitat structure and the N Reserve boundary associated species of these Road areas the Trust is selectively cutting areas of scrub with a Public bridleway future aim to introducing sheep Byway The 0 100 grazing to the grassland to Calcining Hedgerow To Nassington Banks metres Yellow wort control vegetation growth. Inclusive Route Reserve Entrance For the the sake sakeof the wildlife, of the wildlife, Woodland please keep dogs on leads. To Nassington Thankplease you keep dogs on leads. The woodlands are ancient abandoned coppice Thank you of ash, oak and field maple. They have a diverse ground flora particularly in Old Sulehay Forest including toothwort, bluebells, wild garlic and carpets of wood anemones. Both great and lesser spotted woodpecker live within like nettle-leaved bellflower to At Sammock’s Hill the Wildlife Trust is trying to the wood, along with nuthatch survive. A variety of reverse this trend. The two fields, covering 30 and treecreeper. Both invertebrates thrive in the sun- acres, were recently under arable production. muntjac and fallow deer are warmed conditions that the The two bands of limestone bedrock which run often seen. Look out for the ride management creates through the fields, indicate that the fields would wild service tree. The fruit and the emerging adults previously have been limestone grassland. from this tree called feed on the plant nectar chequers was used in sources such as dogwood Using wildflower seed collected from other lime- the past to make a and bramble that grow stone grassland sites in the local area, Sammock’s beer or mead. on the ride side. Hill is being restored back to its former state. As the grassland vegetation develops it is hoped that A number of In recent years non-native Wild service tree invertebrate species associated with limestone rides run through species such as sycamore have grasslands will move in from the neighbouring the woodlands. become established within the quarries and grasslands of the nature reserve. These are bound on Nuthatch woodlands. If allowed to spread further, this would either side by distinctive ditches and shade out the woodland floor and reduce the In future years, Sammock’s Hill will be able to banks known as wood banks. botanical diversity that currently exists. Over time provide wildflower seed for other Limestone They indicate that these the sycamore will be removed to encourage plants Grassland restoration projects in the local avenues were created in more typical of this area. area, further increasing the the 19th Century. It is area of this rare and necessary to manage valuable habitat. the rides by cutting back Sammock’s Hill Limestone the trees and shrubs to the wood bank and mowing Grassland Recreation Project the lower grassy vegetation. Limestone Grasslands are important habitats due This prevents vegetation to the rich diversity of plants and associated encroaching on these invertebrates they support. However, over the last historic track ways and 60 years it is estimated that up to 80% of enables sunlight to limestone grasslands have been lost in Britain. reach the floor of the This is largely due to changes in agricultural Wood anemone ride, encouraging plants practices, such as cultivation for arable production. Wild thyme.