List of local nature reserves in Northamptonshire facts for kids

Kinewell Lake

Northamptonshire is a county located in the East Midlands region of England. It covers an area of about 2,367 square kilometers (914 square miles). In 2015, around 723,000 people lived there. Northamptonshire shares its borders with eight other counties, including Warwickshire, Leicestershire, and Cambridgeshire.

Until April 2021, the county was managed by one main council and seven smaller district councils. Now, it is divided into two larger areas, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire, each with its own council. The special flower that represents Northamptonshire is the cowslip.

A low ridge of hills, formed in the Jurassic period, runs through the county. These hills separate the areas where the Welland and Nene rivers flow. Northamptonshire has good transport links, with two main railway lines and the M1 motorway crossing it. Instead of a few very large cities, it has many smaller industrial towns. The county is also known for its beautiful country houses and mansions.

Nature Reserves in Northamptonshire

As of May 2017, Northamptonshire is home to 18 special places called local nature reserves. These are areas where nature is protected, and people can visit them. Many of these reserves are looked after by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

Some of these nature reserves are extra special. Two of them are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which means they are important for their plants, animals, or geology. They are also Ramsar sites, which are wetlands important around the world. Plus, they are Special Protection Areas (SPA) under a European Union rule that protects wild birds.

The biggest nature reserve in Northamptonshire is Titchmarsh Nature Reserve. It covers about 72.7 hectares (180 acres). In winter, many goosanders, wigeons, and gadwalls gather there, making it very important for these birds. The smallest reserve is Great Oakley Meadow. Here, you can still see the old "ridge and furrow" patterns in the ground from medieval farming.

Exploring Northamptonshire's Nature Reserves

Here's a look at some of the amazing nature reserves you can find in Northamptonshire:

Site Name	Photo	Size (hectares)	Main Town	What makes it special
Barnes Meadow		29.4	Northampton	This site includes part of the River Nene, open meadows, and an old river bend. You can spot many dragonflies, like brown hawkers, and a large number of grass snakes. Birds like grey herons and kingfishers also live here.
Crowfields Common		8.7	Moulton	This grassland area still shows the old "ridge and furrow" patterns from farming in the Middle Ages. It also has old trees, hedges, and a lovely flower meadow.
Daventry Country Park		66.0	Daventry	This park is centered around Daventry Reservoir, which helps feed the Grand Union Canal. It also has meadows and crack willow trees. Look out for birds such as yellowhammers and song thrushes.
Farthinghoe		3.7	Farthinghoe	Once a landfill site, this reserve now has grassland, ponds, and woodland. You can find beautiful flowers like lady's bedstraw and snake's-head fritillary. Butterflies like marbled whites and bats are also common here.
Glamis Meadow and Wood		9.5	Wellingborough	A stream flows through this site, which features both woodland and open grassland. It has paths for cycling, places to sit, and information boards for visitors.
Great Oakley Meadow		1.9	Great Oakley	This small meadow has very clear medieval ridge and furrow patterns from old farming methods. The dry ridges have many different flowers, including cowslip and quaking-grass. The wetter areas near Harpers Brook have plants like cuckooflower.
Greens Norton Pocket Park		2.0	Greens Norton	This park used to be a brick pit. Now it has a pond, wet areas, grassland, and woods. It's a great place for a picnic. You might see barn owls, grass snakes, and green woodpeckers here.
Hills and Holes		8.3	Northampton	This area was once a quarry, used from the Middle Ages until the late 1700s. It has grassy ridges and dips, some quite steep. It's a good place to see different types of plants that grow on limestone grassland.
Kinewell Lake		35.4	Ringstead	This lake was once a gravel pit next to the River Nene. It's a great spot for birdwatching, with shovellers, great crested grebes, and kingfishers. You might also spot otters and bats.
King's Wood		31.7	Corby	Over 250 types of plants have been found here, including those typical of very old woods like yellow archangel and wood anemone. Many different insects, such as green-veined white butterflies, also call this wood home.
Kingsthorpe		14.4	Northampton	This meadow is next to a small river that flows into the River Nene and often floods in winter. It has hedges, ponds, and bushy areas. Birds like green woodpeckers and kestrels can be seen here.
Lings Wood		20.1	Northampton	Frogs, newts, damselflies, and dragonflies all breed in this nature reserve. It has woodland, ponds, scrub, and grassland. Some areas have planted trees, while others have native trees growing back naturally.
Scrub Field		5.1	Northampton	This meadow is full of different wild flowers. In higher areas, you can find field scabious and knapweed. Lower down, look for bird's-foot trefoil and yellow rattle.
Storton's Pit		21.9	Northampton	Located on the bank of the River Nene, this site has old gravel pits, meadows, and a fen ditch. About 350 types of insects have been found here, some of them quite rare. Water birds like snipe and the less common water rail visit this site.
Summer Leys		47.7	Wollaston	This wetland area has flooded gravel pits with special hides for watching birds. It also has grassland, hedges, and water meadows. Birds like golden plovers and common terns breed here. You might also see butterflies such as common blues.
Tailby Meadow		4.9	Desborough	This hay meadow has never had artificial fertilizers and hasn't been ploughed for hundreds of years. It has fifteen types of grass and many wild flowers, including black knapweed and lady's smock, which is food for the orange tip butterfly.
Tiffield Pocket Park		2.6	Tiffield	This 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) long path follows an old railway line. Trees and shrubs like blackthorn and hawthorn line the path. A nearby pond has been restored, making it a better home for many different plants and animals.
Titchmarsh		72.7	Thrapston	The River Nene flows through this large reserve, which has big areas of open water and grassland. In winter, it's very important for goosanders, wigeons, and gadwalls. You can also find banded demoiselle damselflies along the river banks.

See also

• List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Northamptonshire