Snipe Dales

The woodland of the Country Park is chiefly of Corsican pine, planted in 1965 with a few Scots pine, beech and other deciduous trees. The pines are being replaced with ash, oak, alder and other native broadleaved species.

During the nesting season the woods are alive with bird song. Willow warbler, blackcap, chaffinch and blue, great and coal tit are common. Other birds include treecreeper, goldcrest, wren, long-tailed tit and great spotted woodpecker. Tawny owl and barn owl are frequent visitors, and sparrowhawk and kestrel can often be seen.

This area of the reserve was fenced off to allow grazing to be restored to help encourage plants that like a short turf. In the absence of grazing, dense vegetation can shade out these sensitive plants.

Wildflowers include common spotted orchid, ragged robin, meadowsweet and lady’s smock, and, in the wetter areas beneath the spring line, water avens, marsh bedstraw, watercress and water figwort. Snipe were once common, though are now a rare sight, but meadow pipit and reed bunting breed here.

Previously, artificial dams created man-made ponds. These have been removed to create more natural flushes where the streams converge, providing a natural habitat for a variety of dragonflies and damselflies .

Periwinkle Wood is an area of woodland planted in 1974, consisting of oak, beech, ash, Scots and Corsican pine, and larch. The pine and larch are slowly being thinned out to allow the broadleaved species to florish.

This small nature reserve is a wonderful place for butterflies. Peacock, painted lady, holly blue and small tortoiseshell are just a few that feed here, especially on thistles and bramble. Owls, treecreeper, whitethroat, linnets and many other finches feed and breed here.

The site of an old watermill can also be found amongst the undergrowth. Nearby, growing over the stream is a venerable old willow.

For more information, visit our dedicated Furze Hill and Sow Dale reserve pages.

Beckside Meadow is an extension to the Snipe Dales Country Park and Nature Reserve, purchased by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust in 1992. It is being restored as a wildflower meadow which will begin to support a whole host of wildlife.

Oak Wood is an area of broadleaved woodland planted in 1988. This predominantly oak wood, with some small leaved lime, hornbeam and ash, will help to shape the future look of Snipe Dales as the pines are slowly thinned and replaced. The open nature of this area provides a good hunting ground for owls, kestrel and sparrowhawk.