Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

The stream is lined with flag iris, gypsywort, pendulous sedge, hard rush, watercress and purple loosestrife. The lake is fringed with marginal vegetation including flag iris, bulrush and pond sedge. There is an island in the lake overhung with weeping willows. This provides a safe nesting site for waterfowl, including mallard, moorhen, coot, Canada goose, and in some years, tufted duck. Other occasional visitors to the lake include pochard. There are plenty of mature trees in the park, including some old pedunculate oaks, which are possibly relics of the Great North Wood that once covered the area. Additionally, the site is blessed with an abundance of dense shrubberies and supports an area of native woodland with ash, pedunculate oak, beech, silver birch and hawthorn, alongside a small, ephemeral pond. Grassland areas are predominantly for amenity use but there are a number of patches which are relatively herb-rich. Species present include cat's ear, hairy sedge, field wood rush, sweet vernal grass, crested dog's-tail, red fescue, ladies bedstraw and mouse-ear hawkweed. The park boasts a good range of birds such as house sparrow, blackcap, coal tit and chaffinch. Six species of bat have been recorded, including common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, Daubenton's, Leisler's, noctule and serotine.

Facilities

Toilet; play areas; refreshments; sports amenities.