Priory Water Priory Water Priory Water is the clubs flagship
conservation project
The LWA took on the site in 1987 as a
wildfowl sanctuary and started an ambitious plan to create a nature reserve
from scratch. Over the years 16000 trees have been planted, hundreds of metres
of hedges have been laid and restored, reed beds have been established and
flower meadows have been created.
The site covers 120 acres including about
45 acres of water comprising of two main lakes and a selection of pools and
scraps left over from exploratory digging looking for the best gravel seams.
It very quickly became an important site
for overwintering wildfowl and has since matured into one of the finest nature
reserves in the county. Priory water is now one of the best sites in the county
for dragonflies and damselflies and 23 species have been recorded . It is one of only a few sites in the county
where the Hairy Dragonfly and the Variable damselfly breed.
Insect life on the reserve is incredible
and a walk round the reserve on a warm summers day will reveal huge numbers of
butterflies, grasshoppers, bees, hoverflies and moths.
Regular recording has produced exceptional
lists of birds and insects as well as a large colony of grass snakes that live
on the abundant amphibians. The reserve also has several species of bats that
are seen regularly as dusk falls.
Monthly working parties by club members
tend to the maintenance of the reserve and undertake new projects to further
enhance the biodiversity of the site.
A strict no shooting policy and limited
access to the reserve ensure that disturbance is kept to a minimum and this is
key to the success of the reserve.
Visiting parties are welcome by appointment
and have included school groups and local natural history groups.
The reserve has an impressive field centre
that was first built in 1991 and has over the years been extended to give
storage space for boats and equipment.
Read our PDF Publication here --> Priority Waters Conservation Project
The success of the reserve is due to the
commitment and hard work of club members and volunteers who give freely of
their time as well as the generosity and support of Mr. Jelley without whom,
none of this would be possible.
