Hampton Nature Reserve, to the south of Peterborough

Peterborough

Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...

, 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...

 is home to Europe’s largest population of great crested newts

Great Crested Newt

The Great Crested Newt, also called Northern Crested Newt or Warty Newt is a newt in the family Salamandridae, found across Europe and parts of Asia.-Distribution:...

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The site is a Special Area of Conservation

Special Area of Conservation

A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...

 as well as being a Site of Special Scientific Interest

Site of Special Scientific Interest

A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...

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Description

Hampton Nature Reserve is a 300 acre site that is home to the largest population of great crested newts in Europe. The site is owned be O&H Hampton and managed by Froglife

Froglife

Froglife is a British wildlife charity committed to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles and their associated habitats. The charity aims to encourage as many people as possible, from all walks of life, to get involved in wildlife conservation and habitat protection.-Conservation...

. The reserve is diverse and includes 200 year old woodland, 340 ponds, and areas of grassland. Volunteers help Froglife with the active management of the reserve which includes building hibernacula for newts (shelters in which they can safely hibernate), tree felling to allow light onto the woodland floor, and constructing piles of rotting vegetation for grass snakes to lay their eggs in.

Adjacent to the reserve is Haddon Lake, one of many former brick pits in the Hampton area. This site provides an additional ideal habitat for newts, and a tranquil haven for other wildlife.

History

The site was previously a working brick pit, with extraction continuing as late as the 1990’s. The extraction of bricks and dumping of unwanted material is responsible for the undulating ‘lunar’ landscape visible on part of the reserve. Once the pit had ceased to operate, nature took over and now a large variety of wildlife has made its home at the reserve.

Wildlife

Europe’s largest population of great crested newts can be found at the Hampton Nature Reserve. In addition to this the site is also important for stoneworts (rare algae), water voles, and is home to the only known colony of the grizzled skipper butterfly in Peterborough. Many species of tree, wildlflowers such as the bee orchid, and a wide range of fauna such as green woodpeckers, bats, kestrels, grass snakes, dragonflies and damselflies can all be found at the Hampton Nature Reserve.