Access to brockholes.........!Preston.

[kwyll]

Being an occasional birder of approx 12 years who mixes this hobby with cycling,driftwood collecting, photography etc.I would like to know for certain whether access to brockholes is sometimes denied and why?.Because of what i have read on the net about people being sometimes turned away ,i have not been down there as much as i would like......Which for me who only lives an half hour away is a shame.The few times i have been down ,the gate has been shut,so i have had to go to the pond to the left of the footpath ,which runs through the reserve.It was only recently ,after the sighting of the red necked grebe...was floating around the net ,that i found the gate open and cycled right in.It was my first time at the main pit,i was made to feel most welcome by the birders who were there and had an amazing time.So for future reference for myself and others could the access be clarified please.Thank you.!:t:

[SiG]

It's set out on the Brockholes website ... "the reserve is NOT open to the public. This is due to the health and safety issues throughout the site and the fact that we have not yet installed footpaths.

There is a Public Footpath that runs through the centre of the site and a permissive path which follows the Ribble and joins the Public Footpath to the south and north of the reserve. Visitors are welcome to use either of these two paths."

http://www.brockholeswetland.org.uk/forum/

[derekg]

Being a regular visitor to Brockholes only living up the road I would agree with SiG in checking out the Brockholes forum.
As the site is still under construction and will be for the next 2 years from what I know and also Health and Safety being at the forefront of sites like these I'd keep to the rules as posted on the site.
I will also add that there are a regular but small number of visitors most evenings if you pop down I'm sure you will be warmly welcomed.

Derek

[Sailfin]

Hi kwyll

There is no public access on Brockholes Wetland and Woodland Nature Reserve at the moment.

When we first bought the site we had to carry out an initial assessment on its safety. We did not know what hazards were left from the quarrying operations. We decided to close the site to public access whilst this assessment was carried out.

The reserve is currently under construction and as its now a building site we have to comply with Health and Safety Regulations relating to such a site. This means keeping the public safe against, for example, quicksand or large machinery. As we don't have any footpaths installed throughout the site yet (although we will do in due course) the majority of visitors could roam freely and enter hazardous areas without realizing. We also have to lock the main entrance gate in the evenings for security reasons and need to avoid locking any visitors in.

The site accommodates some ground nesting bird species. These areas are obviously restricted access. As there is currently no suitable way of displaying this information to visitors it would be impossible to ensure these birds were not disturbed.

It is realised that this situation is frustrating and we do hold a series of guided walks which are advertised locally to allow some supervised access.

During certain times there are occasions when volunteers open the reserve to allow viewing of particular birds. The gate is open to allow viewing of the whimbrel roost during every evening from the end of April to the first week in May. In addition if there is a particularly good bird (such as the recent red necked grebe) there are plans in place to allow access for viewing.

We aim to open in early 2011 by which time we will have all the infrastructure in place to provide a safe, enjoyable bird watching experience.

Thanks

The Warden.

[Tao Wild]

Received this via e-mail and thought it may be of interest.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust will join with Preston City Council to host an event at Brockholes Nature Reserve on Saturday 6th June between 11.00am and 3.00pm.

The event forms part of the BBC Breathing Places “Dirty Weekend”, when everyone is encouraged to get out in the fresh air and celebrate their greenspaces.

Volunteers will have the chance to plant reed stems in the lakes, erect reed cages, plant reed seeds in the poly tunnel and raise a sweat with some balsam bashing.

This is a rare chance for the public to see the progress made by Lancashire Wildlife Trust at Brockholes, which is next to junction 31 of the M6. The site is normally closed to visitors, as parts are still unsafe due to past quarrying. The reserve will open officially in Spring 2011.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust would like to thank the Big Lottery Target Wellbeing fund for its support.

Admission is free, but places are limited and booking is essential. Contact 01772 906471 or email parks@preston.gov.uk . Please dress appropriately for the weather, wear your wellies and bring refreshments as there are no catering facilities on site.