| Wilson's Pits | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Nature reserve |
| Location | Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire |
| OS grid | SP 944 680 |
| Area | 32 hectares |
| Managed by | Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire |
Wilson's Pits is a 32 hectare nature reserve west of Higham Ferrers in Northamptonshire. It is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. [1] It is part of the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits Site of Special Scientific Interest, [2] [3] Ramsar internationally important wetland site [4] and Special Protection Area under the EC Birds Directive. [5]
Higham Ferrers is a market town in the Nene Valley in East Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single built-up area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated population of 7,145. The town centre contains many historic buildings around the Market Square and College Street.
Northamptonshire, archaically known as the County of Northampton, is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015 it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by Northamptonshire County Council and by seven non-metropolitan district councils. It is known as "The Rose of the Shires".
The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (WTBCN) is a registered charity which manages 126 nature reserves covering 3,945 hectares. It has over 35,000 members, and 95% of people in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire live within five miles of a reserve. In the year to 31 March 2016 it employed 105 people and had an income of £5.1 million. It aims to conserve wildlife, inspire people to take action for wildlife, offer advice and share knowledge. The WTBCN is one of 36 wildlife trusts covering England, and 47 covering the whole of the United Kingdom.
This site has three lakes in former gravel pits, and it also has areas of grassland and scrub. There are diverse bird species, and flora such as ragged-robin, brooklime, common spotted orchid and creeping jenny. Dragonflies include the brown hawker and black-tailed skimmer. [1]
Lychnis flos-cuculi, commonly called Ragged-Robin, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. This species is native to Europe, where it is found along roads and in wet meadows and pastures. In Britain it has declined in numbers because of modern farming techniques and draining of wet-lands and is no longer common. However, Lychnis flos-cuculi has become naturalized in parts of the northern United States and eastern Canada.
Veronica beccabunga, the European speedwell or brooklime, is a succulent herb belonging to the family Plantaginaceae. It grows on the margins of brooks and ditches in Europe, North Africa, and north and western Asia. It can be found on other continents as an introduced species. It has smooth spreading branches, blunt oblong leaves and small bright blue or pink flowers.
Dactylorhiza fuchsii, the common spotted orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae.
There is access from the Nene Way long distance footpath, but as of March 2017 it is closed while works are carried out to widen an adjacent roundabout.
The Nene Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath in England running through the English counties of Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. It generally follows the course of the River Nene.
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