Maze Park Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Maze Park is a 42 acres urban nature reserve in Middlesbrough
, England
on the south bank of the Tees on former railway marshalling yards.
It was created by the Teesside Development Corporation
and is owned and run by the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust
.
The reserve is a narrow triangle of land bounded by the River Tees
, the old river Tees, and the Thornaby rail marshalling yards.
Passing through the reserve along the side of the River Tees is the Teesdale Way
footpath and cycle route and there are butterfly styled metal cycle racks to park bicycles for those cyclists wishing to stop and take a closer look.
An interpretation panel is present for the interested visitor and others are planned.
The western end of the nature reserve is close to and accessible from the Tees Barrage
.
Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve
is located on the opposite bank of the River Tees.
Plants in the reserve include bird's foot trefoil, common centaury
, rocket, St John's wort
and yellow-wort and there was a school project to plant further wild plants such as viper's bugloss
, greater knapweed, salad burnet
and selfheal. Insects to be found include damselfly
, dingy skipper
, grasshopper
, grayling
, ringlet
, six-spot burnet
moth and small copper
.
The birds which are known to nest or visit include blackcap
, chaffinch
, grasshopper warbler
, grey partridge
, kingfisher
, sand martin
, skylark
and sparrowhawk
.
Local Nature Reserves
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, 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...
on the south bank of the Tees on former railway marshalling yards.
It was created by the Teesside Development Corporation
Teesside Development Corporation
The Teesside Development Corporation was a government-backed development corporation that was established in 1987 to fund and manage regeneration projects in the former-county of Cleveland in North East England....
and is owned and run by the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust
Tees Valley Wildlife Trust
The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the Tees Valley area of England. Its area of operation corresponds to the four unitary authorities of Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland, covering parts of the ceremonial counties of County Durham and...
.
The reserve is a narrow triangle of land bounded by the River Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
, the old river Tees, and the Thornaby rail marshalling yards.
Facilities
The area is rough grassland, supporting herbs and broad-leaved plants and has three landscaped viewing mounds giving panoramic views of the Green Blue Heart of the Tees Corridor.Passing through the reserve along the side of the River Tees is the Teesdale Way
Teesdale Way
The Teesdale Way is a long distance walk between the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire and the Cumbrian Pennines in England. The walk is 100 miles / 161 km in length, it links in with other long distance walks such as the Pennine Way and the E2 European Walk between Harwich and Stranraer.The...
footpath and cycle route and there are butterfly styled metal cycle racks to park bicycles for those cyclists wishing to stop and take a closer look.
An interpretation panel is present for the interested visitor and others are planned.
The western end of the nature reserve is close to and accessible from the Tees Barrage
Tees Barrage
The Tees Barrage is a barrage across the River Tees just upriver of Blue House Point in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East of England and is used to control the flow of the river, preventing flooding and the effects of tidal change....
.
Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve
Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve
Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve is a local nature reserve.The nature reserve is by the northern bank of the river Tees between the Tees Barrage and the Tees Viaduct near Portrack housing estate in Stockton-on-Tees borough, County Durham and is the last remaining wetland on the lower Tees.The site is...
is located on the opposite bank of the River Tees.
Flora and fauna
Maze Park Nature Reserve supports a range of plants, insects and birds. The area has a slag-based soil and is ideal for plants that grow in limestone and chalk meadows.Plants in the reserve include bird's foot trefoil, common centaury
Centaurium erythraea
Centaurium erythraea is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common names common centaury and European centaury. This centaury is a widespread plant of Europe and parts of western Asia and northern Africa. It has also naturalised in parts of North America and throughout...
, rocket, St John's wort
St John's wort
St John's wort is the plant species Hypericum perforatum, and is also known as Tipton's Weed, Chase-devil, or Klamath weed....
and yellow-wort and there was a school project to plant further wild plants such as viper's bugloss
Viper's Bugloss
Echium vulgare is a species of Echium native to most of Europe, and western and central Asia. It is also common in North America....
, greater knapweed, salad burnet
Salad Burnet
Sanguisorba minor is a plant in the family Rosaceae that is native to western, central and southern Europe; northwest Africa and southwest Western Asia; and which has naturalized in most of North America...
and selfheal. Insects to be found include damselfly
Damselfly
Damselflies are insects in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be distinguished by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest...
, dingy skipper
Dingy Skipper
The Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages, is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It ranges from Europe across Asia Minor and Central Asia to the Amur region.Erynnis tages favours open grassy habitats up to 2,000 metres above sea level...
, grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
, grayling
Grayling (butterfly)
The Grayling is a species in the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. It sometimes occurs in coastal areas of northeast Scotland such as the Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve. It can also be found near the coast around England, such as Fire Beacon Hill...
, ringlet
Satyrini
The Satyrini are a huge tribe of the Satyrinae, containing the graylings, ringlets and allies. They belong to the Nymphalidae family...
, six-spot burnet
Six-spot Burnet
The Six-spot Burnet, Zygaena filipendulae, is a day-flying moth of the family Zygaenidae. It is a common species throughout Europe....
moth and small copper
Small Copper
The Small Copper, American Copper, or the Common Copper is a butterfly of the Lycaenids or gossamer-winged butterfly family.- Description :thumb|left|Larva...
.
The birds which are known to nest or visit include blackcap
Blackcap
The Blackcap is a common and widespread sylviid warbler which breeds throughout temperate Europe, western Asia and northwestern Africa, and winters from northwestern Europe south to tropical Africa...
, chaffinch
Chaffinch
The Chaffinch , also called by a wide variety of other names, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Description :...
, grasshopper warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
The Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering from northwest Africa to India....
, grey partridge
Grey Partridge
The Grey Partridge, Perdix perdix, also known as the English Partridge, Hungarian Partridge, or Hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds...
, kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
, sand martin
Sand Martin
The Sand Martin is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries, part of northern Asia and also North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America and South Asia...
, skylark
Skylark
The Skylark is a small passerine bird species. This lark breeds across most of Europe and Asia and in the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations are more migratory, moving further south in winter. Even in the milder west of its range,...
and sparrowhawk
Sparrowhawk
The Eurasian Sparrowhawk is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian Sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred underparts; females and juveniles are brown above with brown barring below...
.
See also
- Tees BarrageTees BarrageThe Tees Barrage is a barrage across the River Tees just upriver of Blue House Point in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East of England and is used to control the flow of the river, preventing flooding and the effects of tidal change....
- Teesdale WayTeesdale WayThe Teesdale Way is a long distance walk between the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire and the Cumbrian Pennines in England. The walk is 100 miles / 161 km in length, it links in with other long distance walks such as the Pennine Way and the E2 European Walk between Harwich and Stranraer.The...
- River TeesRiver TeesThe River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
Local Nature Reserves
- Portrack Marsh Nature ReservePortrack Marsh Nature ReservePortrack Marsh Nature Reserve is a local nature reserve.The nature reserve is by the northern bank of the river Tees between the Tees Barrage and the Tees Viaduct near Portrack housing estate in Stockton-on-Tees borough, County Durham and is the last remaining wetland on the lower Tees.The site is...
- Portrack Meadows Wildlife Reserve.