Nature Reserves – Really Worth a Visit
Many
people connect visiting nature reserves with the spring and summer months, but
there are various features and wildlife in the autumn and winter which make a
visit very worthwhile. A number of the Trust’s reserves also have interesting
histories which are reflected in their landscapes.
St Catherine’s Hill near Winchester has remains dating back to the Bronze Age (pits), the Iron Age (ramparts) and Saxon boundaries. There was a Norman chapel, which gave the hill its name. In Medieval times, trackways, know as Dongas were made by animals and carts, plague pits were dug, and later a turf maze, known as a miz-maze was cut, probably between 1647 and 1710. Nearby at Winnall Moors are old water meadows which play a vital role in helping to absorb water and protect the city during floods and in winter they are visited by wildfowl.
Swanwick Lakes is an old clay pit site and therefore almost entirely a man-made landscape. The 90 acre reserve is managed for wildlife and education by the Wildlife Trust. The lakes (flooded clay pits) are now surrounded by woodland and meadows. Other features which indicate its industrial past, are a concrete road, brick paths and bases of buildings, and parts of the old conveyor belt which transported clay around the site. In the autumn, colourful trees and many species of fungi may be seen, whilst in winter you may be lucky enough to spot a Kingfisher, see Gadwall feeding on New Lake, flocks of Goldfinch and Roe Deer drinking from the lakes.
Testwood Lakes near Totton, were originally gravel pits and now attract wildfowl such as Teal, Mallard, Pochard, Gadwall and Wigeon during the winter. Recent archeological finds have shown that this was an important Bronze Age site. The remains of three bridges, built about 1550BC have been discovered, together with a cleat from a sea-going boat, and a rapier and a spearhead, both made of bronze.
Farlington Marshes is the Trust’s oldest nature reserve and is situated on the northern shore of Langstone Harbour. It is internationally important for the bird populations that it supports. In autumn the Brent geese return from the Arctic and thousands can be seen feeding on the grass. During winter there are many wildfowl to be seen, especially Teal and Wigeon.
A number of other reserves are particularly good for discovering fungi at this time of year: Roydon Woods, a patchwork of ancient woodland, pastures, ponds and heaths, near the Lymington river is also noted for its autumnal leaf colour. Pamber Forest, near to Tadley is a remnant of the Royal Forest of Windsor which was used for hunting and more recently it has been used for timber production. Shutts Copse, near West Meon is a broadleaved woodland with coppiced hazel.
If you’ve got some spare time this autumn, treat yourself to a visit to a nature reserve near you. Full details of all the Wildlife Trust’s reserves can be found on www.hwt.org.uk