Besthorpe
Type : Wetland
Formerly a site of gravel extraction, Besthorpe Nature Reserve lies in the Trent floodplain to the north of Collingham on the east bank of the river. The site comprises two areas with a total area of around 68 hectares. Besthorpe North is the area to the north of Trent Lane.
As part of our strategy to secure new areas of wildlife habitat a further area of restored gravel pits covering more than 100 hectares will be added to the reserve sometime between 2015 and 2020.
Conservation Management
This includes control of willow scrub invading the old reed-bed; opening up orchid areas to avoid them being shaded out; and maintenance of the open shingle and gravel areas to provide habitat for little ringed plover and other birds.
How to Get There
From the A1133 Newark to Gainsborough road, take the southern of two turns into Besthorpe Village and follow Trent Lane to its end where you can park and enter the reserve.
Introduction to Besthorpe South
Besthorpe South is the area to the south of Trent Lane.
About the Reserve
The reserve is held under a 99 year lease from Lafarge Redland Aggregates Ltd. The section of the reserve to the south of Trent Lane comprises an area of old gravel workings and two SSSI wildflower meadows.
The meadows have been designated SSSI since May 1988. They consist of 9.23 hectares of unimproved alluvial grassland with a distinctive plant community which is now nationally rare. Species within the meadows include Yorkshire fog, great burnet, Lady’s bedstraw, common knapweed, meadow vetchling and pepper saxifrage. An old borrow pit fringed by willows contains an interesting aquatic flora including spiked water milfoil and common water crowfoot.
To the South of the meadows lies Mons Pool, which contains a colony of nesting cormorants and a heronry. Two hides are available for watching the birds which frequent the pool and apart from the herons and cormorants these include many species of water bird including a wide variety of ducks in winter including tufted duck, pochard and goosander.
Besthorpe also incorporates two smaller grassland reserves: Brierley’s Meadow SK826625 and Girton Grasslands SK826660.
Conservation Management
Mons Pool
Much of the management to date has concentrated on making the reserve more accessible to visitors with the construction of paths, boardwalk and viewing hides. Continuing management will include maintenance of these facilities and grazing of the surrounding grassland at the appropriate time of year.
Besthorpe Meadows
The meadows are cut for hay in the late summer. Sheep are then introduced to carry out what is know as ‘aftermath grazing’. This style of management helps to maintain the diversity of wild flowers and grasses growing on the these important wildflower meadows.
The willow growth alongside the borrow pit is cut on a rotational basis to ensure that light can reach the water, ensuring the protection of the aquatic habitat.
How to Get There
From the A1133 Newark to Gainsborough road, take the southern of two turns into Besthorpe Village and follow Trent Lane and turn left down the access track to the car park. There is a boardwalk allowing wheelchair access to the hide. A second hide is situated in the south-west corner of the Mons Pool area although access is currently over rough ground.
Further Information
If you would like further details about the reserve, or if you are interested in getting involved in the management of the site, please call the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust office on 0115 958 8242
