Ashwell Springs
Encyclopedia
Ashwell Springs is a 0.3 hectare (0.6 acre) Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Ashwell
Ashwell, Hertfordshire
Ashwell is a village and civil parish situated about four miles north of Baldock in Hertfordshire.It has a wealth of architecture spanning several centuries. The dates almost entirely from the 14th century and is renowned for its ornate church tower which stands at , and is crowned by an...

, North Hertfordshire
North Hertfordshire
North Hertfordshire is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Letchworth.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the amalgamation of the urban districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, and Royston and the Hitchin Rural District.From eastward clockwise,...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The site was notified in 1986 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom and was implemented to comply with the Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds...

 (1969 under the 1949 act.) The site consists of a series of freshwater springs, which form a source for the River Cam
River Cam
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. The two rivers join to the south of Ely at Pope's Corner. The Great Ouse connects the Cam to England's canal system and to the North Sea at King's Lynn...

. Due to the low temperatures of the spring pools, they provide a habitat for cold water, invertebrate animals, some of which are rare.

The site is home to several species of animals, including Platyhelminthes, Crenobia alpina and the Polycelis felina, among many others. Much of the pools and water is surrounded by grassland.
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