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Nearest
Town: Wigan
Grid Reference: SD585 030 The
Flashes (or lakes) are a legacy of the town's industrial past and were formed
as a result of mining subsidence. Some of the flashes were partially filled with
colliery waste and ash from the nearby Westwood Power Station. Ince Moss Colliery
closed in 1962 and Westwood Power Station was demolished as recently as 1989.
Natural colonisation and large-scale reclamation works have helped heal the industrial
scars, turning the area into the amenity it is today. The
Reserve is part of a larger network of important wetland habitats, running for
approximately 9km along the Leigh branch of the Leeds Liverpool Canal. These include
Hey Brook, Abram Flashes SSSI, Pennington Flash Country Park and Hope Carr Nature
Reserve.
Wigan
Flashes habitats include large areas of open water,
reedbed, fen, rough grassland, wet woodland and scrub.
Over 200 species of bird, 15 species of dragonfly
and 6 species of orchid have been recorded. The elusive
Bittern is regularly recorded in the winter months
and work to improve and manage the reedbeds is aimed
at attracting this nationally rare bird to stay and
breed.
The
Flashes are known for their resident and overwintering waterfowl such as Grey
Heron, Tufted Duck, Coot, Pochard, Goldeneye, Gadwall and Great Crested Grebe.
Breeding birds include Reed Bunting, Willow Tit, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler,
Common Tern and Water Rail. The
Flashes provide very important feeding areas for bats and support large numbers
of Noctule and Dubenton's Bat.
The
remaining colliery spoil and ash provide suitable
conditions for a wide variety of wild flowers such
as Common Spotted Orchid, Marsh orchids, Evening Primrose,
Pale Toadflax and Vipers Bugloss. Less common species
include Round-leaved Wintergreen, Marsh Helleborine
and Yellow Birds Nest.
Management
The Wigan Flashes LNR is managed by Wigan Council and the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire,
Manchester and North Merseyside. The partnership has enabled the Wildlife Trust
to employ Project Officers to undertake improvement works, improve facilities
and access, provide events and information, offer opportunities for volunteering,
and developing links with local schools.
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