Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust

The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, (part of the Wildlife Trusts partnership), covers the whole ceremonial county of Lincolnshire, England. It was founded in 1948 as a voluntary charitable organisation dedicated to conserving the wildlife and wild places of Lincolnshire and to promoting the understanding and enjoyment of the natural world.

Banovallum House, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust headquarters

Description edit

Its headquarters are at Banovallum House, Manor House Street, Horncastle. It has over 27,000 members and manages 95 nature reserves with a total area of 8,520 acres (34.49 km2). These include five main visitor-focused reserves used for educational purposes:

  • Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve opened in 1949 and was the first nature reserve to be purchased by the Trust. A reserve of sand dunes, salt marsh and brackish pools situated on the coast 3 miles (5 km) south of Skegness. Facilities include two car parks and a visitors' centre with a cafe, shop and toilets.[1]
  • Far Ings National Nature Reserve opened in 1973. A reserve of lakes, reedbeds and meadows situated in the north of the county on the south bank of the Humber Estuary 2 miles (3 km) west of Barton upon Humber. Facilities provided include car parking, toilets, shop and classroom.[2]
  • Whisby Nature Park opened in 1989. A reserve of lakes, meadows and immature woodland situated in the west of the county alongside the A46 Lincoln by-pass. Facilities include car parking, an education centre with a laboratory and a classroom, an adventure playground for children and the 'Natural World Centre' with toilets, café, shop and temporary and permanent exhibitions. (The car parks, adventure playground and 'Natural World Centre' are managed by North Kesteven District Council).[3]
  • Snipe Dales Country Park & Nature Reserve opened in 1974. A reserve that is part wet grassland and scrub and part conifer woodland situated in the centre of the county on the B1195 Horncastle to Spilsby road. The coniferous woodland is currently being replaced by native broadleaved trees. Facilities include car parking and toilets.[4]
  • Deeping Lakes Nature Reserve opened in 2004. A reserve of lakes and immature woodland situated in the south of the county on the north bank of the River Welland, it is 3 miles (5 km) east of Deeping St James on the B1166 road. Only car parking is provided while the site is being developed.

The Trust employs 78[5] full and part-time staff who are aided by more than 1,300 volunteers drawn mainly from Trust's 16 area groups (members' groups), each of which is based on one of the county's main towns. The area groups also organise meetings, visits and social events and are involved in fundraising and membership recruitment.

5,000 of the Trust's members are under 16 years of age; these are catered for by the organisation's junior wing Wildlife Watch which runs seven groups around the county organising events for children.

The Trust's income is derived mainly from members' subscriptions, money raised by area groups and members, donations, grants from local authorities and government agencies (usually for special projects), profits from the Trust's sales business and from legacies.[6]

Sites edit

Key edit

Public access edit

  • BPA = access only by prior arrangement with the Trust
  • No = no public access
  • Yes = public access to all or most of the site
Site Image Area Location Public Access Classifications Description
Ancaster Valley 10 hectares (25 acres) 52°58′44″N 0°32′09″W / 52.978924°N 0.53591996°W / 52.978924; -0.53591996 Yes A steep-sided valley best known for its flower-rich limestone grassland. Plants include pasqueflower, bee orchid, dyer's greenweed and dropwort, whilst birds recorded at the site include Eurasian green woodpecker and great spotted woodpecker.[7]
Anderby Marsh 24 hectares (59 acres) 53°15′24″N 0°19′19″E / 53.256569°N 0.32207716°E / 53.256569; 0.32207716
Arnold's Meadow 3 hectares (7.4 acres) 52°46′44″N 0°07′59″E / 52.778972°N 0.13317943°E / 52.778972; 0.13317943
Banovallum House 1 hectare (2.5 acres) 53°12′28″N 0°07′10″E / 53.207712°N 0.11933892°E / 53.207712; 0.11933892
Barrow Blow Wells   3 hectares (7.4 acres) 53°41′03″N 0°22′39″W / 53.684185°N 0.37762291°W / 53.684185; -0.37762291 Yes LNR Reedmarshes and woodland centred around two blow wells (natural artesian springs).[8]
Barrow Haven Reedbed   13 hectares (32 acres) 53°41′53″N 0°23′50″W / 53.697929°N 0.39716479°W / 53.697929; -0.39716479 Yes LNR Reedbed in flooded, disused clay pits.
Baston Fen   33 hectares (82 acres) 52°44′38″N 0°18′19″W / 52.743907°N 0.30529738°W / 52.743907; -0.30529738
Bloxholm Wood 30 hectares (74 acres)
Boston Road Bricks 2 hectares (4.9 acres)
Boultham Mere 19 hectares (47 acres)
Candlesby Hill Quarry 2 hectares (4.9 acres)
Chapel Pit 3 hectares (7.4 acres)
Clapgate Pits 1 hectare (2.5 acres) Former quarry
Crowle Moor 188 hectares (460 acres)
Dawson City Clay Pits   16 hectares (40 acres)
Deeping Lakes   71 hectares (180 acres) 52°39′24″N 0°15′02″W / 52.656675°N 0.25064869°W / 52.656675; -0.25064869 Yes LNR, SSSI Flooded former gravel pits. Wildfowl and wetland site.
Digby Corner 1 hectare (2.5 acres)
Dole Wood 8 hectares (20 acres)
Donna Nook National Nature Reserve   1,150 hectares (2,800 acres) 53°28′29″N 000°09′07″E / 53.47472°N 0.15194°E / 53.47472; 0.15194 Yes NNR Coastal salt marsh noted for its annual grey seal breeding population.[9]
Duke's Covert and Copper Hill 2 hectares (4.9 acres)
Epworth Turbary 33 hectares (82 acres)
Fairfield Pit 9 hectares (22 acres)
Far Ings National Nature Reserve   59 hectares (150 acres) 53°41′49″N 0°27′36″W / 53.696838°N 0.45998523°W / 53.696838; -0.45998523 Yes NNR, SSSI, Ramsar site Reedbeds on flooded former clay pits. Wildfowl and wetland site.
Fir Hill Quarry 1 hectare (2.5 acres)
Fiskerton Fen   7 hectares (17 acres)
Frampton Marsh   172 hectares (430 acres) 52°55′35″N 0°01′36″E / 52.9263°N 0.0266°E / 52.9263; 0.0266
Friskney Decoy Wood 6 hectares (15 acres)
Furze Hill 5 hectares (12 acres)
Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve   437 hectares (1,080 acres) 53°05′47″N 0°19′42″E / 53.09641°N 0.32838°E / 53.09641; 0.32838 NNR
Goslings Corner Wood 10 hectares (25 acres)
Great Casterton Road Banks   1 hectare (2.5 acres) 52°39′47″N 0°30′50″W / 52.663°N 0.514°W / 52.663; -0.514
Greetwell Hollow 13 hectares (32 acres)
Hatton Meadows 4 hectares (9.9 acres)
Haxey Turbary 15 hectares (37 acres)
Heath's Meadows 6 hectares (15 acres)
Hopland's Wood 14 hectares (35 acres)
Horbling Line 1 hectare (2.5 acres)
Huttoft Bank Pit 4 hectares (9.9 acres)
Keal Carr 12 hectares (30 acres)
Killingholme Haven Pits 32 hectares (79 acres)
Kingerby Beck Meadows 9 hectares (22 acres)
Kirkby Gravel Pits 15 hectares (37 acres)
Kirkby Moor 75 hectares (190 acres)
Landholme Wood 11 hectares (27 acres)
Lawn Wood, and Bottleneck and Jackson's Meadows 12 hectares (30 acres)
Legbourne Wood 35 hectares (86 acres)
Linwood Warren 28 hectares (69 acres)
Messingham Sand Quarry 40 hectares (99 acres)
Mill Hill Quarry 2 hectares (4.9 acres)
Moor Closes 6 hectares (15 acres)
Moor Farm 48 hectares (120 acres)
Moulton Marsh 36 hectares (89 acres)
Muckton Wood 17 hectares (42 acres)
Pasture Wharf 21 hectares (52 acres)
Pickering's Meadow 3 hectares (7.4 acres)
Pinchbeck Slipe 22 hectares (54 acres)
Rauceby Warren 9 hectares (22 acres)
Red Hill 27 hectares (67 acres)
Rigsby Wood 15 hectares (37 acres)
Robert's Field 4 hectares (9.9 acres)
Roughton Moor Wood 10 hectares (25 acres)
Rush Furlong 3 hectares (7.4 acres)
Saltfleetby – Threddlethorpe Dunes   951 hectares (2,350 acres) 53°24′08″N 0°12′23″E / 53.4023°N 0.2064°E / 53.4023; 0.2064 NNR
Sandilands Pit 1 hectare (2.5 acres)
Scotton Common 64 hectares (160 acres)
Sedge Hole Close 1 hectare (2.5 acres)
Silverines Meadows 6 hectares (15 acres)
Snipe Dales   87 hectares (210 acres) 53°11′46″N 0°00′18″W / 53.196°N 0.005°W / 53.196; -0.005
Sotby Meadows 6 hectares (15 acres)
South Witham Verges 6 hectares (15 acres)
Sow Dale 34 hectares (84 acres)
Spendluffe Meadows 5 hectares (12 acres)
Stanton's Pit   8 hectares (20 acres) LNR
Swinn Wood 20 hectares (49 acres) LNR
Surfleet Lows 3 hectares (7.4 acres)
Tetney Blow Wells 15 hectares (37 acres)
The Shrubberies 5 hectares (12 acres)
Thurlby Fen Slipe 8 hectares (20 acres)
Toby's Hill 9 hectares (22 acres)
Toft Tunnel 3 hectares (7.4 acres)
Tortoiseshell Wood and Porter's Lodge Meadows 21 hectares (52 acres)
Tunman Wood 53 hectares (130 acres)
Watts Wood 3 hectares (7.4 acres)
Welton-le-Wold 2 hectares (4.9 acres)
Whisby Nature Park   144 hectares (360 acres)
Willoughby Branch Line 5 hectares (12 acres)
Willoughby Meadow 5 hectares (12 acres)
Willow Tree Fen 112 hectares (280 acres)
Wolla Bank Pit 4 hectares (9.9 acres)
Wolla Bank Reedbed 3 hectares (7.4 acres)
Woodhall Spa Airfield Nature Reserve   53°07′51″N 0°11′56″W / 53.130728°N 0.19893587°W / 53.130728; -0.19893587 BPA NNR Former airfield and gravel quarry.

References edit

  1. ^ "Gibraltar Point NNR". Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Far Ings NNR". Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Whisby Nature Park". Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Snipe Dales". Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Meet the Team". Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  6. ^ "LWT Annual Report 2018" (PDF). Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. p. 13. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Ancaster Valley". Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Barrow Blow Wells" (PDF). Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  9. ^ "National Nature Reserves in Lincolnshire". Natural England. Retrieved 5 May 2020.

External links edit