Bromham Lake
Bromham Lake

Bedfordshire is a county in the East of England.[1] It is bounded by Hertfordshire to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, and Buckinghamshire to the west.[2] It has an area of 1,235 square kilometres (477 sq mi), and a population estimated in 2016 at 640,000, with an increase of 11% over the previous ten years.[3] Geographically, it is mainly rural, but still the fourteenth most densely populated county of England, with over half the population living in the two largest built-up areas, Luton and Bedford.[4] The county is governed by three unitary authorities, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton.[5] The county town is Bedford, and the name is first recorded in the treaty in about 879 between King Alfred the Great and Guthrum, which divided English and Danish territory by a line which went through Bedford.[6]

Much of Luton and southern Bedfordshire lies in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[7] North and mid Bedfordshire are undulating claylands with broad river valleys of the River Great Ouse and its tributaries, and the Bedfordshire Greensand Ridge. Jurassic and Cretaceous clays are overlaid by Quaternary glacial deposits of chalky boulder clay.[8]

Local nature reserves (LNRs) are designated by local authorities under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The local authority must have a legal control over the site, by owning or leasing it, or having a legal agreement with the owner. LNRs are sites which have a special local interest either biologically or geologically, and local authorities have a duty to care for them. They can apply local bye-laws to manage and protect LNRs.[9][10]

As of March 2016 there are twenty local nature reserves in Bedfordshire:[11] eight in Bedford, eleven in Central Bedfordshire and one in Luton. The largest is Harrold-Odell Country Park with 59.3 hectares (147 acres); it is a former quarry on the bank of the River Great Ouse which has river meadows and two lakes.[12] The smallest is Hill Rise at 0.9 hectares (2.2 acres); it is close to Bedford town centre and surrounded on three sides by houses, but it has a variety of habitats.[13][14] There is public access to all the sites.

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Key

Other classifications

Sites

Site Photograph Area[a] Location[b] Borough Map[c] Details[d] Other classifications Description
Bromham Lake Bromham Lake 10.9 hectares (27 acres) Bromham
52°09′07″N 0°30′02″W / 52.1519°N 0.5005°W / 52.1519; -0.5005 (Bromham Lake)
TL 025 515 		Bedford Map Details The lake was created during mineral working, and birds include the great crested grebe. Other habitats include a wildflower meadow, grassland, woodland and a limestone cliff.[15]
Browns Wood Browns Wood 6.0 hectares (15 acres) Clapham
52°10′51″N 0°30′12″W / 52.1807°N 0.5032°W / 52.1807; -0.5032 (Browns Wood)
TL 025 545 		Bedford Map Details The wood was planted by the Duke of Bedford in the middle of the eighteenth century. It is ancient semi-natural woodland of beech, larch and poplar. Ground flora include wood anemone and nettle leaved bellflower, and there are birds such as great spotted woodpeckers and song thrushes.[16]
Cooper's Hill Cooper's Hill 12.7 hectares (31 acres) Ampthill
52°01′38″N 0°30′06″W / 52.0273°N 0.5016°W / 52.0273; -0.5016 (Coopers Hill)
TL 029 376 		Central Map Details SSSI,[17] WTBCN[18] In the view of Natural England, this site has the best remaining area in the county of heathland on the thin acidic soils of the Lower Greensand Ridge. It also has varied invertebrates and two areas of marshy woodland.[17]
Cottage Bottom Fields Cottage Bottom Fields 14.1 hectares (35 acres) Dunstable
51°52′27″N 0°29′27″W / 51.8743°N 0.4907°W / 51.8743; -0.4907 (Cottage Bottom Fields)
TL 040 206 		Central Map Details The site is chalk grassland on a steep slope, and the wide variety of flowers include what may be the largest population of pignut in the country. Birds include Northern wheatears, European stonechat, whinchat and ring ouzels.[19]
Fenlake Meadows Fenlake Meadows 19.2 hectares (47 acres) Bedford
52°07′38″N 0°26′39″W / 52.1272°N 0.4442°W / 52.1272; -0.4442 (Fenlake Meadows)
TL 066 488 		Bedford Map Details This site is on the bank of the River Great Ouse, and it is often wet and waterlogged. The meadows are grazed by cattle, and there are wetland plants of ecological interest.[20]
Flitton Moor Flitton Moor 6.9 hectares (17 acres) Flitton
52°00′45″N 0°27′46″W / 52.0124°N 0.4628°W / 52.0124; -0.4628 (Flitton Moor)
TL 056 360 		Central Map Details The site was open moorland in the Middle Ages, but it was converted to agricultural land in the nineteenth century. The central area is pasture with a strip of woodland around the edge. Other habitats are fen and wetland. Trees include osiers.[21][22]
Flitwick Wood Flitwick Wood 14.2 hectares (35 acres) Flitwick
52°00′08″N 0°30′40″W / 52.00222°N 0.5112°W / 52.00222; -0.5112 (Flitwick Wood)
TL 023 348 		Central Map Details This is semi-natural woodland, with some ancient trees and others which have recently been planted. It has a varied flora, including wood anemones, wood spurges and primroses, and diverse birds, bats and insects.[23][24]
Galley and Warden Hills SSSI Galley and Warden Hills 44.6 hectares (110 acres) Luton
51°55′37″N 0°24′53″W / 51.9269°N 0.4147°W / 51.9269; -0.4147 (Galley and Warden Hills SSSI)
TL 092 265 		Luton Map Details SSSI[25] The site is chalk grassland with areas of dense scrub, and it has many plants which are rare nationally and locally.[25] It has a wide variety of wild flowers and more than twenty species of butterflies.[26]
Harrold-Odell Country Park Island in Harrold Odell Country Park 59.3 hectares (147 acres) Harrold
52°12′14″N 0°35′53″W / 52.2038°N 0.5981°W / 52.2038; -0.5981 (Harrold-Odell Country Park)
SP 959 571 		Bedford Map Details This former quarry[12] is bordered on its southern and eastern side by the River Great Ouse. It has two lakes, water meadows and woodland, some of which is seasonally flooded.[27]
Henlow Common and Langford Meadows Langford Meadows 18.4 hectares (45 acres) Langford
52°03′01″N 0°16′29″W / 52.0503°N 0.2748°W / 52.0503; -0.2748 (Henlow Common and Langford Meadows)
TL 184 405 		Central Map Details This site on the bank of the River Ivel is mainly grassland with areas of scrub and bushes. There are also some native trees and a stream, which make it an important area for wildlife. Plants include marsh marigolds and there are birds such as kingfishers. The river bank has otters and water voles.[28]
Hill Rise Hill Rise 0.9 hectares (2.2 acres) Bedford
52°08′52″N 0°28′16″W / 52.1478°N 0.4710°W / 52.1478; -0.4710 (Hill Rise)
TL 047 511 		Bedford Map Details The small site is surrounded on three sides by houses, but it has a variety of habitats, woodland, meadow, scrub and two ponds. Wildlife includes muntjac deer, foxes, birds, dragonflies and butterflies.[13][14]
Kings Wood and Glebe Meadows, Houghton Conquest Long Meadow and Kings Wood 36.1 hectares (89 acres) Houghton Conquest
52°03′04″N 0°28′39″W / 52.0512°N 0.4775°W / 52.0512; -0.4775 (Kingswood and Glebe Meadows)
TL 045 403 		Central Map Details SSSI[29] This site has ash and maple woodland on heavy clay, a habitat which has become rare in lowland England. It is biologically diverse, with a number of rare species. Several plants are indicative of ancient woodland, such as wood melick and wood anemone.[29]
Marston Thrift Marston Thrift 55.8 hectares (138 acres) Cranfield
52°03′54″N 0°34′55″W / 52.0651°N 0.5820°W / 52.0651; -0.5820 (Marston Thrift)
SP 973 417 		Central Map Details SSSI[30] Like Kings Wood and Glebe Meadows, this site has ash and maple woodland on heavy clay. It also has areas of damp grassland, and a grassland valley. It is an important site for butterflies, including the rare black hairstreak.[30][31]
Maulden Church Meadow Maulden Church Meadow 3.3 hectares (8.2 acres) Maulden
52°01′56″N 0°27′28″W / 52.0321°N 0.4577°W / 52.0321; -0.4577 (Maulden Church Meadow)
TL 059 382 		Central Map Details SSSI[32] This is unimproved pasture on the Lower Greensand Ridge. It has many grass and herb species, and there are small areas of acidic grassland. An open pond has aquatic plants, while two ponds which have been filled in have a varied marsh vegetation.[32]
Mowsbury Hill Mowsbury Hill 2.8 hectares (6.9 acres) Bedford
52°10′00″N 0°26′34″W / 52.1668°N 0.4428°W / 52.1668; -0.4428 (Mowsbury Hill)
TL 066 532 		Bedford Map Details SM[33] The site is an old orchard with a wildflower meadow, woodland, scrub, a moat and ponds.[34] It is also the site of an early Iron Age hillfort and a medieval moated settlement with two fishponds.[33]
Park Wood, Bedford Park Wood 5.2 hectares (13 acres) Bedford
52°09′23″N 0°28′21″W / 52.1563°N 0.4724°W / 52.1563; -0.4724 (Park Wood)
TL 046 520 		Bedford Map Details The site has diverse habitats with mature trees, grassland, scrub and ponds. Flowers include bee and pyramidal orchids. An orchard has been planted with traditional fruit trees.[35]
Putnoe Wood Putnoe Wood 10.4 hectares (26 acres) Bedford
52°09′44″N 0°26′29″W / 52.1623°N 0.4415°W / 52.1623; -0.4415 (Putnoe Wood)
TL 067 527 		Bedford Map Details This is ancient woodland with hazel coppice in the northern half, and the ground flora has areas of bluebells.[36] Bird species include wood pigeons, blue tits and great tits.[37]
The Riddy The Riddy and River Ivel 8.4 hectares (21 acres) Sandy
52°07′27″N 0°17′48″W / 52.1243°N 0.2968°W / 52.1243; -0.2968 (The Riddy)
TL 167 487 		Central Map Details WTBCN[38] This water meadow is one of the few surviving areas of flood plain of the River Ivel. Aquatic plants include celery leaved buttercup and water plantain, and there are birds such as lapwings, fieldfares and redwings. Water voles are found along the river.[39]
Stotfold Mill Meadows Stotfold Mill Meadows 3.4 hectares (8.4 acres) Stotfold
52°00′51″N 0°13′04″W / 52.0143°N 0.2179°W / 52.0143; -0.2179 (Stotfold Mill Meadows)
TL 224 366 		Central Map Details The meadows are on the east bank of the River Ivel, and have water birds and invertebrates such as frogs, toads and newts. The site also has meadows with a number of ponds, and an area of woodland.[40]
Totternhoe Knolls Totternhoe Knolls 13.3 hectares (33 acres) Totternhoe
51°53′17″N 0°34′44″W / 51.8880°N 0.5789°W / 51.8880; -0.5789 (Totternhoe Knolls)
SP 979 220 		Central Map Details CAONB,[41] SM,[42] SSSI,[43] WTBCN[44] Part of this site was formerly a chalk quarry. It is now grassland with a rich variety of plant species, including some that are now rare. There are a number of orchids and a wide variety of invertebrates, including butterflies such as the scarce small blue and Duke of Burgundy.[43][45]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Local Nature Reserves in Bedfordshire.

Notes

  1. ^ The area is taken from the Natural England map of each site. (Click on the identify icon (i) in the "Feature Tools" and then click on the site.)
  2. ^ The location is taken from the Natural England details page for the site.
  3. ^ The maps are on the Natural England database of local nature reserves.
  4. ^ Details are on the pages on each site in the Natural England database of local nature reserves.[11]

52°05′N 0°25′W / 52.083°N 0.417°W / 52.083; -0.417

References

  1. ^ "East of England". Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Your Guide to the Counties of England". Counties in England. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  3. ^ "Bedfordshire Police". Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Bedfordshire Hate Crime Strategy" (PDF). Central Bedfordshire Council et al. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service Annual Report, 2014/15" (PDF). Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  6. ^ Page, William, ed. (1912). A History of the County of Bedford. Vol. 3. London: Victoria County History. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.
  7. ^ "Luton and southern Bedfordshire Green Infrastructure Plan" (PDF). Greensand Trust. 2009. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  8. ^ "Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Claylands". National Character Area profile. Natural England. pp. 11, 40. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Protected or designated areas". Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Natural England. 9 April 2013. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  10. ^ "Local nature reserves: setting up and management". Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Natural England. 2 October 2014. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Local Nature Reserves: Search results for Bedfordshire". Natural England. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  12. ^ a b "Welcome to Harrold-Odell Country Park". Friends of Harrold-Odell Country Park. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  13. ^ a b "Hill Rise". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  14. ^ a b "Welcome to Hill Rise Nature Reserve". Hill Rise Nature Reserve. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  15. ^ "Bromham Lake". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  16. ^ Information board next to Browns Wood
  17. ^ a b "Cooper's Hill citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  18. ^ "Cooper's Hill". Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  19. ^ "Cottage Bottom Fields". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  20. ^ "Fenlake Meadows". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  21. ^ "Flitton Moor". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 11 March 2015. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  22. ^ "Flitton Moor". Greensand Trust. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  23. ^ "Flitwick Wood". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  24. ^ "Countryside Sites in Mid Central Bedfordshire". Central Bedfordshire Council. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  25. ^ a b "Galley and Warden Hills citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  26. ^ "Galley and Warden Hills SSSI". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  27. ^ "Harrold-Odell Country Park". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  28. ^ "Henlow Common and Langford Meadows". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  29. ^ a b "Kings Wood and Glebe Meadows, Houghton Conquest citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  30. ^ a b "Marston Thrift citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  31. ^ "Marston Thrift". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  32. ^ a b "Maulden Church Meadow citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  33. ^ a b Historic England. "Mowsbury Hill: slight univallate hillfort and medieval moated site (1015588)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  34. ^ "Mowsbury Hill". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  35. ^ "Park Wood, Bedford". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  36. ^ "Putnoe Wood". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  37. ^ "Putnoe Woods Bird Count 12-02-2012" (PDF). Friends of Putnoe Wood and Mowsbury Hillfort. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  38. ^ "The Riddy". Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  39. ^ "The Riddy". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 19 February 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  40. ^ "Stotfold Mill Meadows". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 19 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  41. ^ "Totternhoe Knolls". Chilterns Conservation Board. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  42. ^ Historic England. "Totternhoe Castle: a motte and bailey castle, medieval quarries and cultivation terraces (1020772)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  43. ^ a b "Totternhoe Knolls citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  44. ^ "Totternhoe". Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  45. ^ "Totternhoe Knolls". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.

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