Our Local Nature Reserves
Nottinghamshire County Council currently owns and manages seven Local Nature Reserves. These are:
Cockglode & Rotary Woods
Daneshill Lakes
Rainworth Water
Rufford Country Park
Southwell Trail
Teversal Trails
Tippings Wood
Cockglode & Rotary Woods LNR
Declared: 2005
Nearest Town/Village: Edwinstowe
Access Point: Ollerton Tourist Information Centre Car Park (off the A616 at Ollerton) or on foot from the A6075
Grid Reference: SK 640 674
The origins of Cockglode and Rotary Woods are complex. Cockglode Wood has ancient origins, being a remnant of the woodland that covered the area long before it became the Royal Hunting Forest of Sherwood. The bluebells and dog’s mercury that appear in the wood every spring are clues to these ancient beginnings. Among the ancient woodland are exotic trees and shrubs (those not native to the UK), for example, false acacia and rhododendron. These are the legacy of the gardens of Cockglode House that now lies buried under the spoil tip on which Rotary Wood stands. Rotary Wood is the exact opposite of Cockglode Wood, being very young. The trees were planted on the restored spoil tip of Thoresby Colliery in 1998 – 1999 to celebrate the Millennium. The planting was undertaken by a group of local Rotary Clubs, giving us the name, Rotary Wood.
Both Cockglode and Rotary Woods contain a variety of habitats, which are managed to ensure that their importance for nature is maintained. Within the ancient woodland of Cockglode thinning of some trees is undertaken. This allows more light to reach the woodland floor, allowing wildflowers to flourish and trees of different ages to grow. In the more open areas bracken rolling takes place during the late summer months. This reduces the bracken cover, allowing plants typical of lowland heath to colonise the clearings. The neighbouring Sherwood Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and one of the most important heathland sites in the Country. Managing the heathland and extending its area is a significant management aim. Although much younger, Rotary Wood provides a home for a variety of species. Various butterflies and other insects take advantage of the maturing woodland and wide grassy paths. Ground nesting birds, such as skylarks, find safe nesting sites in the open areas of rough grassland within the woodland. Much of the habitat management work is done on a voluntary basis by the Friends of Sherwood Heath in conjunction with the Sherwood Forest Community Rangers. Contact us to find out more about volunteering.
As well as the wide range of wildlife, Rotary Wood boasts fantastic views of the surrounding Sherwood landscape. This is easily accessed via the circular Rotary Walk. From the top of Rotary Wood it is possible to see over Cockglode Wood towards Boughton Pumping Station as well as towards Sherwood Forest Country Park and the village of Edwinstowe with its prominent church spire.
Daneshill Lakes LNR
Declared: 1984
Nearest Town/Village: Ranskill
Access Point: Car Park off Daneshill Road, Torworth
Grid Reference: SK 668 862
Daneshill Lakes LNR is entirely owned by Nottinghamshire County Council, although only the area south of Daneshill Road is managed by the Council. The northern area is managed by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust ( www.wildlifetrust.org.uk)
The whole site was part of the Royal Ordnance Factory at Ranskill until the 1970s. Construction of the factory was authorised in 1940 and production started in 1942. The site was large and included an explosives factory, an acids plant and private sidings linked to what we now know as the East Coast Main Line. The factory was closed in 1945, but retained on a care and maintenance basis until 1975. After this the site was broken up and sold. All that remains is some of the signalling from the sidings adjacent to the railway line. The LNR only covers part of the Royal Ordnance Factory site, much of the remaining area being used for waste disposal.
The LNR itself is, of course, dominated by the lakes. These are the result of gravel extraction that occurred after the Royal Ordnance Factory was mothballed. Further extraction was undertaken by Nottinghamshire County Council during the 1980s. Now the extensive lakes are important for over-wintering wildfowl. Other habitats at the site include mixed scrub and birch woodland, which supports a wide range of bird species. There are also areas of acid grassland within the LNR that support several species of butterfly and wildflowers including a variety of orchids. These grasslands are currently being further developed for their conservation benefits. This and other conservation tasks are undertaken by volunteers. Contact us for more details about volunteering at Daneshill Lakes.
The site is widely used, with about 100,000 visitors per year. There is a network of surfaced paths allowing access to the site for everyone, including people with restricted mobility. As well as general access the site is used by a sailing club and a fishing club that leases the main lake. Day fishing is permitted on the car park lake, with tickets available from Ranskill Newsagent.
Rainworth Water LNR
Declared: 2005
Nearest Town/Village: Rainworth
Access Point: On foot from Rainworth Village
Grid Reference: SK 598 595
Rainworth Water LNR was once part of Rufford Colliery. The site is a unique landscape created as colliery spoil was piled steeply around the watercourse, forming a giant bowl. This is now at the heart of the LNR. During the restoration of the spoil tip thousands of trees were planted to stabilise the steep ground. These now form large areas of broadleaved and mixed woodland. Alongside the woodland several other habitats also exist. Rainworth Water itself is a valuable wetland habitat consisting of pools, shallows and meanders to create a natural appearance. Beside the watercourse marshy areas have developed since restoration. Open grassland and dense scrub have also developed naturally since restoration. Some maintenance work is undertaken on these habitats by the Friends of Tippings Wood. Contact us to find out more about volunteering with the Friends of Tippings Wood at Rainworth Water (or Tippings Wood).
The variety of habitats present at Rainworth Water means that a broad range of species is supported. In particular, the wetland habitat is characterised by dragonflies and damselflies. These are an indication that Rainworth Water is relatively unpolluted and recovering from its industrial past. The scrub areas provide food and shelter for insect eating birds such as the chiffchaff. Some of the open grassland areas support a colony of Dingy Skipper butterflies, which are rare within Nottinghamshire.
Unlike many of our restored colliery sites where public access is actively encouraged, Rainworth Water is much quieter. It exists as a hidden gem for those wishing to discover a quiet “wilderness”. We do ask visitors to respect the peace and tranquillity wildlife finds at Rainworth Water by staying on footpaths and trying to avoid disturbing plants and animals.
Rufford Country Park LNR
Declared: 2008
Nearest Town/Village: Rufford, Ollerton
Access Point: Car Parks at: main entrance off A614, and at Rufford Mill off Rufford Lane
Grid Reference: SK 648 647
The site occupies much of the eastern boundary of Rufford Country Park and has been set aside principally for nature conservation.The site comprises a stretch of the Gallow Hole Dyke that flows into the southern end of the site and out at its northern end, and a series of interconnecting ponds and islands. A second aquatic input to the wetland system results from a diversion of the Gallow Hole Dyke through the adjacent golf course and re-joining of the main course of the dyke on the eastern boundary of the site.The site supports a range of aquatic, emergent and marginal species as well as semi-improved grassland, rough unimproved grassland, secondary mixed deciduous woodland, a small area of yew wood, immature planted areas and mature individual trees.
A wetland area has been created in the south-eastern corner of the site, its water supply coming from the Gallow Hole Dyke. A number of construction and habitat creation projects have been completed, including the construction of pond dipping platforms and the erection of low fencing and new shrub planting.The site is known to support Water Voles, and provides brreeding habitat for a range of waterfowl.
To the northern end of the site Gallow Hole Dyke widens out and three islands have been created along the site’s western boundary. To the west of the islands is the main Rufford Lake that is not considered by this plan. A footpath and bridges link the islands. This footpath is surfaced but a series of more informal footpaths exist, mainly around the south east wetland area.
Southwell Trail LNR
Declared: 2005
Nearest Town/Village: Southwell, Edingley, Kirklington, Farnsfield & Bilsthorpe
Access Point: Car Parks at: Station Rd Southwell, Station Rd Kirklington, Station Ln Farnsfield & Forest Links, Bilsthorpe
Grid Reference: SK 707 545 to SK 651 605
The site now known as the Southwell Trail has a long history dating back to 1842. That was the year that Midland Railway first proposed running a line from Rolleston via Southwell to Mansfield. By 1847 only the section from Rolleston to Southwell (not including the present Southwell Trail) had been completed. However, threats by others to complete the line and the knowledge of coal deposits around Mansfield spurred Midland Railway on to completion. The line finally opened in April 1871. The line became renowned for slow services and passenger services were few, although goods trains carrying coal etc were more common. However, in 1968 the line was closed, a casualty of British Rail modernisation.
Eventually it was purchased by Nottinghamshire County Council in the 1970s. Since then the line, known as the Southwell Trail, has been managed as a cross-country route for a variety of users from walkers and cyclists to horse riders. It is also an important route for wildlife, providing a habitat corridor through the landscape. The development of the site for both the local community and wildlife took another step forward in 2005 with the formation of the Friends of the Southwell Trail following declaration as a LNR. Contact us to find out more about volunteering with the Friends of the Southwell Trail.
The Trail now supports a wide range of habitats, because it crosses two distinct geological areas. These are the Sherwood Sandstone to the north around Bilsthorpe and Farnsfield and the Keupar Marl further south from Kirklington towards Southwell. The Sherwood Sandstone is acidic and supports soils low in nutrients yielding relatively few species. Typical habitats on this part of the Trail include scrub and acid grassland. The Keupar Marl is entirely different, being characterised by species rich meadows and woodlands. Species to look out for among these habitats include the common lizard (in the open areas around Farnsfield), various birds of prey including sparrow hawks and many butterflies, for example, the speckled wood. Knowledge of the species present on the Trail is currently being expanded by the Friends of the Southwell Trail through bird and butterfly surveys. It is hoped to expand the butterfly survey and start a wildflower survey in summer 2007. Anyone interested in helping should contact us.
Teversal Trails LNR
Declared: 1988
Nearest Town/Village: Teversal, Skegby & Pleasley
Access Point: Teversal Trails Visitors Centre, Carnarvon Street (off Fackley Road), Teversal
Grid Reference: SK 479 614
The Teversal Trails are an approximately four mile long circular route on the Nottinghamshire – Derbyshire border. They form part of the Pleasley Trails Network that also includes the Meden Trail and the Rowthorne Trail. All of these Trails are former railway lines closed during the mid-1900s since when plants and animals have colonised the track beds and embankments. This has resulted in the attractive trails seen today.
The railway line to Teversal was the first to open in 1866. This was followed by the Rowthorne Branch in 1883 and the lines to Pleasley and Silverhill Colliery in 1898. This expansion of the rail network was all associated with the expansion of the collieries in the area. From the 1930s the use of these lines was declining. The first to close was the Rowthorne line in 1938. In 1978 the Teversal to Pleasley line was the last line of this network to be closed. Since closure the expansion of nature on the trails has been such that they now form all or part of two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and five Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs).
The trails support a mosaic of habitats including calcareous grassland communities. These are grassland communities that exist on limestone bedrock. The species present include tor grass, yellow oat grass, field scabious, hawkweed and quaking grass. The calcareous grassland forms the dominant habitat within the Teversal – Pleasley Railway SSSI and is found within the Teversal Pastures SSSI. This grassland is among the few remaining areas of limestone grassland in Nottinghamshire and is of regional importance. Other habitats making up the mosaic include mesotrophic grassland, scrub and semi-mature woodland. Within this mosaic of habitats a number of rare plants and animals exist. Among the rarest plants is the frog orchid, which is extinct in most places in central and eastern England. Other rare plants include the fragrant orchid, common spotted orchid, greater burnet-saxifrage, bee orchid and dittander. The rare fauna includes the butterflies dingy and grizzled skippers, both of which appear in the Nottinghamshire Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP).
The Teversal Trails Visitor Centre opened in 1993 and now provides an excellent place from which to access the Trails. There is ample free parking and the Centre is open everyday from 10:30am to 3:45pm (subject to volunteer availability). A number of circular walks have been developed which cater for everything from a short stroll to a long walk in the countryside. Please visit the Teversal Trails web site at www.teversaltrails.com for more information about the walks and the Visitor Centre.
Tippings Wood LNR
Declared: 2005
Nearest Town/Village: Blidworth & Rainworth
Access Point: Various in both villages. Car Park off Warsop Lane (B6020), Blidworth
Grid Reference: SK 590 569
Blidworth Colliery opened in 1924, built on farmland between the villages of Rainworth and Blidworth. The current location of Tippings Wood LNR was one of the colliery spoil tips. In 1989 with the closure of the colliery reclamation of the site began, and thousands of trees were planted to form Tippings Wood. A variety of other habitats, including wetlands and grasslands were also created on the former spoil tip. As the habitats have developed and matured over the last fifteen years careful management has been required to ensure we make the most of the site for both people and wildlife. Much of the work is done on a voluntary basis by the Friends of Tippings Wood in conjunction with the Sherwood Forest Community Rangers. Contact us to find out more about volunteering.
Tippings Wood includes a number of important habitats. The largest area is broadleaved woodland, which contains a variety of species in particular oak and birch. Alongside the woodland there is a wetland area consisting of open water and marsh and there are a number of grassland areas. These habitats are home to many different species, for example, the wetland is inhabited by many plants including Reedmace and is frequented by many different damselflies and dragonflies. The Bee Orchid, a flower typical of post-industrial sites, and Painted Lady butterflies are among the other species to be seen at Tippings Wood LNR during the summer months.
In 2000 the remainder of the former colliery site was restored. This wider area (that includes Tippings Wood LNR) is known as Boundary Wood. This means that a much larger area is developing as a place to visit and enjoy nature. Also, National Cycle Route 6 crosses Boundary Wood immediately adjacent to Tippings Wood. This means that an even wider area is available to explore. In particular the route supplies a link to nearby Sherwood Pines and Vicar Water Country Park.
