eatock lodge lnr

Grid Ref: SD650046

Eatock Lodge was designated a LNR in 2004. The site lies 8km south - west of Bolton town centre, is surrounded by recent urban development & covers 6 hectares. The site consists of open water, marsh, grassland, scrub & mixed woodland. The site is gently undulating in nature due to its previous history as a colliery spoil heap belonging to Eatock Colliery. It is now completely surrounded by recent urban housing developments.

The main focus of the site is concentrated around the lodge. This provides an important recreational resource for local residents, including fishing, walking and nature observation. The site has several formal surfaced footpaths and is further dissected by a number of 'desire lines' linking areas. A central area is managed for recreational activities, mainly a football pitch, and is the only part of the site cut on a regular basis.

The site itself comprises a mosaic of grasslands and recently planted mixed woodlands.

The lodge has patches of Yellow Iris, Bogbean and Meadowsweet. Much of this part of the Lodge is also covered with White Water Lily. The Lodge is also of regional importance for its breeding Toad population as well as supporting good numbers of Frogs, Smooth Newts and freshwater invertebrates. Butterflies recorded include Holly Blue, Gatekeeper & Speckled Wood whilst the site is also good for damselflies. Previous management has focused on enhancing the structural diversity of the site through tree planting in several areas. This has been mostly experimental due to the underlying colliery waste material covering much of the site. Success can be seen with many of the colonising species including Gorse, Alder , Silver Birch and Hawthorn. Current management mainly consists of maintaining and enhancing public access and accessibility.