Site description:
Nosterfield Nature Reserve is a 45 ha LNR near the village of West Tanfield, Ripon, North Yorkshire. It is the first LNR ever to be declared in Hambleton. It is a former sand and gravel quarry, which has been restored to open water and shallows.In 1993 North Yorkshire County Council designated Tarmac's Nosterfield Quarry as "the best site within the northern half of the county for passage and wintering waders". Four years later three local trustees formed the Lower Ure Conservation Trust; approximately two-thirds of the current LNR, which had previously been sold by an earlier minerals company, was acquired with the help of landfill tax funding. A seasonally-flooded area of this was enhanced by Tarmac in exchange for the Trust's restoration advice on the company's adjacent old plant site. This remaining area has subsequently been leased to the Trust on a 'peppercorn' rent. From the beginning, the primary objectives for the site were to create and improve habitat for wintering, passage and particularly breeding waders and waterfowl - notably redshank and shoveler. These objectives were achieved in the first year and in subsequent years. Regular WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) counts and site records bare witness to the huge increase of birds on the site. In addition to the diversity of breeding birds, over 200 species of plants have been recorded, together with Red Data Book and Nationally Notable insects. The site was awarded the QPA (Quarry Products Association) Award for Restoration and the BTO / Tarmac Challenge Award as best small inland site for waders in 2001. Access: Nosterfield Nature Reserve is open to the public throughout the year (except in special circumstances). Visitors are free to walk along the designated footpaths, however one section is closed for dog walking and dogs must be kept on leads at all times. The Interpretation centre and hide is open but unmanned each day during normal ‘working’ daylight hours. |
