Paddington Meadows
Encyclopedia
Paddington Meadows is a nature reserve in Warrington
, England
. The land was donated to Warrington Borough council in 1995. It was designated in November 2005.
The site comprises almost 30 hectares of meadow
grassland occupying the area to the south of Manchester Road (the A57
) and to the north of the Mersey. It is five minutes by car from Warrington town centre. There is ongoing active management of the hedgerows which include thinning and laying of the various edges. Hawthorns also grow in an orchard area rather than the more useful hedge arrangement. There are various paths around the perimeter and crossing the meadows that are open and closed at various times dependent on conservation projects.
On occasion the members of the Warrington rowing club can be seen using the Mersey.
Rare breed longhorn Cattle
are grazed on the site during the summer months and they play a vital role in keeping the grass short, which in turn encourages ground nesting birds such as skylark
. A wild flower meadow has been created on one of the fields.
The site attracts flocks of fieldfare
s and redwing
s, which feed on the berries of some of the oldest hawthorn
hedges in the Cheshire
area.
There are planned changes to the designation of this area that may allow for development.
A major project was started in 2009 to clean up the Woolston new cut canal that runs along the northern edge of the meadows. Invasive flora is being cut back and long term projects are attempting to remove pollution and toxicants from the silt in the canal.
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, 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 land was donated to Warrington Borough council in 1995. It was designated in November 2005.
The site comprises almost 30 hectares of meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
grassland occupying the area to the south of Manchester Road (the A57
A57 road
The A57 is a major road in England. It runs east from Liverpool to Lincoln, via Warrington, Cadishead, Irlam, Patricroft, Eccles, Salford and Manchester, then through the Pennines over the Snake Pass , around the Ladybower Reservoir, through Sheffield and past Worksop...
) and to the north of the Mersey. It is five minutes by car from Warrington town centre. There is ongoing active management of the hedgerows which include thinning and laying of the various edges. Hawthorns also grow in an orchard area rather than the more useful hedge arrangement. There are various paths around the perimeter and crossing the meadows that are open and closed at various times dependent on conservation projects.
On occasion the members of the Warrington rowing club can be seen using the Mersey.
Rare breed longhorn Cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
are grazed on the site during the summer months and they play a vital role in keeping the grass short, which in turn encourages ground nesting birds such as 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,...
. A wild flower meadow has been created on one of the fields.
The site attracts flocks of fieldfare
Fieldfare
The Fieldfare is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It breeds in woodland and scrub in northern Europe and Asia. It is strongly migratory, with many northern birds moving south during the winter. It is a very rare breeder in Great Britain and Ireland, but winters in large numbers in these...
s and redwing
Redwing
The Redwing is a bird in the thrush family Turdidae, native to Europe and Asia, slightly smaller than the related Song Thrush.-Taxonomy:...
s, which feed on the berries of some of the oldest hawthorn
Common Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna, known as common hawthorn or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world where it is an invasive weed...
hedges in the Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
area.
There are planned changes to the designation of this area that may allow for development.
A major project was started in 2009 to clean up the Woolston new cut canal that runs along the northern edge of the meadows. Invasive flora is being cut back and long term projects are attempting to remove pollution and toxicants from the silt in the canal.