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Location The reserve is located close to the village of Middleton, approximately 2km south of Heysham. At the western end of the A683 Lancaster to Heysham road turn south on to Middleton Road. After approximately 1km, and before reaching Middleton village, turn right on to Main Avenue (leading to Heysham Business Park). |
Access A car park on Main Avenue provides access to an adjacent water body. Opposite, to the south of Main Avenue, footpaths allow public access to the establishing Community Woodland, where there are also good views of the remainder of the reserve. Status Much of the reserve is designated as a Biological Heritage Site in recognition of its ecological significance within the county of Lancashire. |
Middleton Nature Reserve
Nearest town: Morecambe
Grid reference: SD 419 590, Landranger 97 & 102, Explorer 296
This former industrial site fell in to disuse around 30 years ago. Since then a range of habitat types and species have recolonised the open ground and structures across the site. The reserve now holds a varied mosaic of water bodies and associated wetland vegetation, grassland types and scrub, with a wooded belt where the reserve is closest to Middleton village.
Water bodies are used by breeding amphibians, including the protected great crested newt and a variety of breeding dragonfly and damselfly species including red veined darter, ruddy darter and black-tailed skimmer. Middleton Nature Reserve is regionally important for dragonflies and damselflies with a total of 17 species having been recorded.
During winter months the reserve holds wintering wildfowl including gadwall and tufted duck, and come the spring a variety of other birds breed on the reserve, including little grebe and stonechat, grasshopper warbler and lapwing.
21 species of butterfly have been recorded on the reserve, including grayling and wall brown. Orchids abound, with southern marsh, northern marsh, common spotted and bee orchid all present. Other notable plant species include lesser centuary and yellow-wort.
Elsewhere, around shallow pools, are wetland and aquatic vegetation, including species such as sea club rush and brackish water-crowfoot where nearby Morecambe Bay influences the water bodies.
Work on the reserve includes managing areas of grassland and scrub to maintain suitability for breeding birds, as well as enhancing the variety of flowering plants in grassland areas through late mowing and baling. Management of the water bodies and associated habitats also takes place to provide a mix of open water and marginal vegetation to benefit the breeding amphibians and dragonfly species.
