WILD WALK – Lower Moor Farm

To celebrate the diversity of landscapes and wildlife of the Cotswold area, Cotswold Life has teamed up with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to feature a different nature reserve walk each month. The organisation works closely with neighbouring ...

A stunning mosaic of natural beauty

The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's Lower Moor Farm is a wonderful waterscape of three lakes, two brooks, ponds and wetland scrapes all linked together by ancient hedges, woodland and meadows.

The reserve was opened in May 2007 by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Its visitor centre sets a gold standard for sustainable construction and showcases lots of ideas about how to lead a greener lifestyle.

Lower Moor Farm reserve itself forms the gateway to four neighbouring Trust reserves - Clattinger Farm, Oaksey Moor Farm Meadow, Swillbrook Lakes and Sandpool - and so links up pockets of good wildlife habitat to larger areas which will help species adapt to the pressures of climate change. It also allows visitors to walk through a stunning mosaic of natural beauty.

The lakes were created by gravel extraction in the 1970s. The biggest is Mallard Lake, one of only two lakes in Wiltshire to be designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Wildlife

Mallard Lake contains rare stoneworts and teal, tufted duck, kingfisher and pochard are some of the species that populate the waters. It also supports part of a nationally important population of Great Crested Grebe. Water voles and otters inhabit the Flagham Brook, and great crested newts use the reserve for foraging. Seven species of dragonfly and the eggs of the rare brown hairstreak butterfly are found here too.

Innumerable birds such as nightingales, tawny owls, woodpeckers, lapwings and snipe make the reserve their home.

Reserve management

The hay meadows of Clattinger Farm and Oaksey Moor Farm are drenched in wildflowers in the early summer because they have been protected from chemical fertilisers and farmed according to a traditional cutting and grazing regime.

To restore and maintain these treasured meadows, the Trust grazes them with its own herd of hardy cattle. The purchase of Lower Moor Farm provides additional land which allows the Trust to move livestock off Clattinger's valuable swards in the wet weather.

Cattle management aside, the Trust will manage Lower Moor Farm with a light touch. Sheep will graze the lakeside grasslands to protect them from invasive scrub. The ponds will be cleared on a rotational basis to encourage different species of amphibians and invertebrates to flourish.

The ancient hedges, filled with more than 20 different species of tree and shrub, will be trimmed regularly to prevent them becoming tall and spindly. The blackthorn hedge will be trimmed on a three-yearly rotational cycle to leave young shoots in place on which the rare brown hairstreak butterfly lays its eggs.

How to find Lower Moor Farm

From Oaksey go in the direction of Somerford Keynes, cross the railway line and follow an S-bend. Immediately after the S-bend the entrance is on the right. From Cricklade on the A419, turn left onto the B4696 towards Somerford Keynes. Continue straight over crossroads until you see the entrance on your left.

The walk (approx. one hour)

Leave the visitor centre and walk to the scrapes and ponds in the wildlife area. The ponds are planted with water mint, flag iris, sedges and tall bulrushes. The scrapes are excellent habitat for amphibians like the common frog, newts and grass snakes, and birds such as snipe and lapwing.

From June to August the black tailed skimmer dragonfly skims close to the water. The males have a blue abdomen with a black tip and orange patterns down the side. The female is as equally distinctive with its yellowish brown body with black zigzag marks along the abdomen. The southern hawker dragonfly will stay around as late as September.

At the first hide, stop and enjoy the view of Cottage Lake. All three lakes offer peaceful vistas and a wildfowl spectacle throughout the year. They are wintering grounds to large numbers of ducks, geese and swans including teal, pochard and gadwell, and grebes.

Move along the recycled plastic boardwalk. In early summer this area is alive with tiny frogs. The boardwalk brings you to the grassy embankment separating Mallard Lake from the two smaller lakes.

In the summer migrant birds appear such as hobbies and reed bunting. Swallows, swifts, and both sand and housemartins duck and dive over the lakes in pursuit of insects. Look out for the blue flash of the kingfisher and listen for warblers and nightingales singing out from the lakeside scrub.

At the end of the embankment you will reach a fabulous old oak tree and may spot the remains of old oak apples, or galls, caused by the larvae of a cynipid wasp. At this corner the golden yellow of the flag iris can be seen along the banks in May and June.

Cross the wooden bridge over the Flagham Brook, which is used by otters, and bear left around Swallow Pool. The second bird hide, being near a boggy area, is excellent for spotting dragonflies.

Follow the wooded path around Swallow Pool. On your right is the wet woodland and marshy ground of Sandpool. The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is currently fundraising to purchase this area.

The path is shadowed and mysterious. You may spot a roe deer on the track. Small birds such as the tit family, blackbirds, sparrows, and tree creepers inhabit the trees. You might see a buzzard, kestrel or hobby wheeling in the open sky.

Turn left and cross a bridge back over the Flagham Brook to carry on around Swallow Pool. The blackthorn hedge on your right is one of only two sites in Wiltshire where the eggs of the rare brown hairstreak butterfly have been found.

The magnificent hedges around the reserve contain over 20 different species of tree and shrub, which provide nesting sites for birds and breeding sites for invertebrates. Field maple, purging buckthorn, dogwood and the wayfaring tree are some of more unusual species.

Look to your left and you might see the recycled plastic otter holt on the small island in Swallow Pool. Swans use the island for nesting.

In early summer you may spot the pale pink common spotted orchid in the verges of the path and a meadow brown butterfly fluttering past. The handsome and harmless grass snake is known to live around here in numbers.

Go through a gate and pass in front of the private house on your right. Cottage Lake is now on your left. Go through another gate and bear left around the lake. You will come to a little clearing with an old pollarded, ivy-covered willow. This place is called Beaver Bay after the beaver lodge demonstration site on the banks of the lake.

Make your way back to the visitor centre, once more passing the scrapes.

Extend your walk (include if space allows).

If you would like to extend your walk beyond Lower Moor Farm into the neighbouring reserves, walk away from the visitor centre and down the lane inside the reserve. Pass the house on your left and take the public footpath signposted Ashton Keynes. You will need trousers to protect your legs from nettles. Please keep to edge of all fields to avoid damaging the flowers.

You will reach a metal gate. If you are visiting in April or May go through the gate on to Clattinger Farm to view the snakeshead fritillaries. From May until July when the hay is cut, you will see fields full of wildflowers, including orchids such as the southern marsh orchid.

If you stay on the path, follow it left around Mallard Lake and you will come to a kissing gate. Turn right and go straight along the side of the field to reach a stile. Cross the lane into Swillbrook Lakes, one of the finest spots in the area for birdwatching and home to 13 species of dragonfly and damselfly.

Double back on yourself into Clattinger Farm again and wander at will through the meadows but please keep to the edges. Please visit www.wiltshirewildlife.org for a map of the reserves.

Stoneworts

Stoneworts are extraordinary plants. They build up a coating of lime over time and feel crunchy to the touch. They have the largest cells known to science - up to 20cms long in some species. Experts think they could be the evolutionary link between the algae of the sea (sea weeds) and land plants.

The clear waters support other plants including shining pondweed and the nationally scarce hairlike pondweed. The three species that live in Mallard Lake include the nationally scarce lesser bearded stonewort.

Essential information

As there is unfenced water, a responsible adult must accompany children. Please keep your dog on a lead at all times, and wear waterproof footwear as the ground can be wet all year round.

For details of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust please contact our head office at Elm Tree Court, Long Street, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1NJ. Tel (01380) 725670 or visit our website www.wiltshirewildlife.org

A stunning mosaic of natural beauty

The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's Lower Moor Farm is a wonderful waterscape of three lakes, two brooks, ponds and wetland scrapes all linked together by ancient hedges, woodland and meadows.

The reserve was opened in May 2007 by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Its visitor centre sets a gold standard for sustainable construction and showcases lots of ideas about how to lead a greener lifestyle.

Lower Moor Farm reserve itself forms the gateway to four neighbouring Trust reserves - Clattinger Farm, Oaksey Moor Farm Meadow, Swillbrook Lakes and Sandpool - and so links up pockets of good wildlife habitat to larger areas which will help species adapt to the pressures of climate change. It also allows visitors to walk through a stunning mosaic of natural beauty.

The lakes were created by gravel extraction in the 1970s. The biggest is Mallard Lake, one of only two lakes in Wiltshire to be designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Wildlife

Mallard Lake contains rare stoneworts and teal, tufted duck, kingfisher and pochard are some of the species that populate the waters. It also supports part of a nationally important population of Great Crested Grebe. Water voles and otters inhabit the Flagham Brook, and great crested newts use the reserve for foraging. Seven species of dragonfly and the eggs of the rare brown hairstreak butterfly are found here too.

Innumerable birds such as nightingales, tawny owls, woodpeckers, lapwings and snipe make the reserve their home.

Reserve management

The hay meadows of Clattinger Farm and Oaksey Moor Farm are drenched in wildflowers in the early summer because they have been protected from chemical fertilisers and farmed according to a traditional cutting and grazing regime.

To restore and maintain these treasured meadows, the Trust grazes them with its own herd of hardy cattle. The purchase of Lower Moor Farm provides additional land which allows the Trust to move livestock off Clattinger's valuable swards in the wet weather.

Cattle management aside, the Trust will manage Lower Moor Farm with a light touch. Sheep will graze the lakeside grasslands to protect them from invasive scrub. The ponds will be cleared on a rotational basis to encourage different species of amphibians and invertebrates to flourish.

The ancient hedges, filled with more than 20 different species of tree and shrub, will be trimmed regularly to prevent them becoming tall and spindly. The blackthorn hedge will be trimmed on a three-yearly rotational cycle to leave young shoots in place on which the rare brown hairstreak butterfly lays its eggs.

How to find Lower Moor Farm

From Oaksey go in the direction of Somerford Keynes, cross the railway line and follow an S-bend. Immediately after the S-bend the entrance is on the right. From Cricklade on the A419, turn left onto the B4696 towards Somerford Keynes. Continue straight over crossroads until you see the entrance on your left.

The walk (approx. one hour)

Leave the visitor centre and walk to the scrapes and ponds in the wildlife area. The ponds are planted with water mint, flag iris, sedges and tall bulrushes. The scrapes are excellent habitat for amphibians like the common frog, newts and grass snakes, and birds such as snipe and lapwing.

From June to August the black tailed skimmer dragonfly skims close to the water. The males have a blue abdomen with a black tip and orange patterns down the side. The female is as equally distinctive with its yellowish brown body with black zigzag marks along the abdomen. The southern hawker dragonfly will stay around as late as September.

At the first hide, stop and enjoy the view of Cottage Lake. All three lakes offer peaceful vistas and a wildfowl spectacle throughout the year. They are wintering grounds to large numbers of ducks, geese and swans including teal, pochard and gadwell, and grebes.

Move along the recycled plastic boardwalk. In early summer this area is alive with tiny frogs. The boardwalk brings you to the grassy embankment separating Mallard Lake from the two smaller lakes.

In the summer migrant birds appear such as hobbies and reed bunting. Swallows, swifts, and both sand and housemartins duck and dive over the lakes in pursuit of insects. Look out for the blue flash of the kingfisher and listen for warblers and nightingales singing out from the lakeside scrub.

At the end of the embankment you will reach a fabulous old oak tree and may spot the remains of old oak apples, or galls, caused by the larvae of a cynipid wasp. At this corner the golden yellow of the flag iris can be seen along the banks in May and June.

Cross the wooden bridge over the Flagham Brook, which is used by otters, and bear left around Swallow Pool. The second bird hide, being near a boggy area, is excellent for spotting dragonflies.

Follow the wooded path around Swallow Pool. On your right is the wet woodland and marshy ground of Sandpool. The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is currently fundraising to purchase this area.

The path is shadowed and mysterious. You may spot a roe deer on the track. Small birds such as the tit family, blackbirds, sparrows, and tree creepers inhabit the trees. You might see a buzzard, kestrel or hobby wheeling in the open sky.

Turn left and cross a bridge back over the Flagham Brook to carry on around Swallow Pool. The blackthorn hedge on your right is one of only two sites in Wiltshire where the eggs of the rare brown hairstreak butterfly have been found.

The magnificent hedges around the reserve contain over 20 different species of tree and shrub, which provide nesting sites for birds and breeding sites for invertebrates. Field maple, purging buckthorn, dogwood and the wayfaring tree are some of more unusual species.

Look to your left and you might see the recycled plastic otter holt on the small island in Swallow Pool. Swans use the island for nesting.

In early summer you may spot the pale pink common spotted orchid in the verges of the path and a meadow brown butterfly fluttering past. The handsome and harmless grass snake is known to live around here in numbers.

Go through a gate and pass in front of the private house on your right. Cottage Lake is now on your left. Go through another gate and bear left around the lake. You will come to a little clearing with an old pollarded, ivy-covered willow. This place is called Beaver Bay after the beaver lodge demonstration site on the banks of the lake.

Make your way back to the visitor centre, once more passing the scrapes.

Extend your walk (include if space allows).

If you would like to extend your walk beyond Lower Moor Farm into the neighbouring reserves, walk away from the visitor centre and down the lane inside the reserve. Pass the house on your left and take the public footpath signposted Ashton Keynes. You will need trousers to protect your legs from nettles. Please keep to edge of all fields to avoid damaging the flowers.

You will reach a metal gate. If you are visiting in April or May go through the gate on to Clattinger Farm to view the snakeshead fritillaries. From May until July when the hay is cut, you will see fields full of wildflowers, including orchids such as the southern marsh orchid.

If you stay on the path, follow it left around Mallard Lake and you will come to a kissing gate. Turn right and go straight along the side of the field to reach a stile. Cross the lane into Swillbrook Lakes, one of the finest spots in the area for birdwatching and home to 13 species of dragonfly and damselfly.

Double back on yourself into Clattinger Farm again and wander at will through the meadows but please keep to the edges. Please visit www.wiltshirewildlife.org for a map of the reserves.

Stoneworts

Stoneworts are extraordinary plants. They build up a coating of lime over time and feel crunchy to the touch. They have the largest cells known to science - up to 20cms long in some species. Experts think they could be the evolutionary link between the algae of the sea (sea weeds) and land plants.

The clear waters support other plants including shining pondweed and the nationally scarce hairlike pondweed. The three species that live in Mallard Lake include the nationally scarce lesser bearded stonewort.

Essential information

As there is unfenced water, a responsible adult must accompany children. Please keep your dog on a lead at all times, and wear waterproof footwear as the ground can be wet all year round.

For details of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust please contact our head office at Elm Tree Court, Long Street, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1NJ. Tel (01380) 725670 or visit our website www.wiltshirewildlife.org