Fletton Lake
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A wide variety of birds are attracted to the lake including grebes, coots, gulls, ducks and
kingfishers. The lake is also an important feeding area for bats.
Species-rich grassland is present along the north and north-east sides of the lake and contains species such as Southern Marsh Orchid,
Selfheal, Common Centaury, Yellow-wort, Wild Carrot, Bird’s-foot-trefoil and Black Knapweed. The grassland north-east of the lake also
contains several ponds and is home to
numerous amphibians and reptiles.
In the 1880s clay pits sprang up around Fletton and Stanground to serve the ever increasing brick industry in Peterborough. Fletton lake is the result of this clay extraction and now remains as a flooded former brick pit. The pit reaches 7m in depth in the northern part and is banked by brick rubble left over from the workings. The rest of the lake is much shallower and contains a number of small islands. From aerial photographs the ridge and furrow landscape of the former brickworks can still be clearly seen.
ClimbStone – The Fletton ClimbStone is a multi-purpose play and sports climbing system. At 3m high, the varying rock formations and giant spider’s web invite climbers to tackle its heights. You can find the ClimbStone in the green space at the end of Earls Close off Fletton High Street.
Pond dipping– On the northern edge of the lake a new pond has recently been dug and school groups are encouraged to use this as an educational resource.
You don’t need lots of special equipment to pond dip. The most important two tools you can have are your eyes – sit or stand beside the pond and just watch. You will be amazed at what you can see – newts rising to the surface, wild animals coming to the pond to drink, bats swooping over the pond catching mosquitoes.
To see what aquatic life is in the pond, you simply need a net and a tray of some sort. Cat litter trays would do the job. Just remember to put back anything you catch after you have finished studying it.
Bird watching – A wide variety of birds are attracted to the lake and a new bird hide has been installed for keen bird watchers to the south west of the lake. Some of the varieties you might see are Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Gadwall, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, and Kingfisher as well as a large Gull roost. The marginal vegetation and scrub surrounding the lake provide an excellent habitat for Water Rail and Sedge Warbler.
Walking – There is a designated path running along the western edge of the lake with the option of a lakeside walk by taking the path through the woodland and then along the brick dust path. At the end of this path you are then on private land for the remainder of the loop around the lake.
Wildflowers – For the wildflower enthusiast there is species-rich neutral grassland present along the northern and north-eastern side of the lake. In the summer you are likely to species such as Southern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa), Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris), Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea), Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Bird’s-foot-trefoil (Lotus tenuis) and Black Knapweed (Centaurea nigra).
Crown Lakes
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This 87 acre site was opened to the public as a country park by O&H Hampton in 1997 and is open all year round. It is accessible by foot, bicycle or car and is a lovely spot for walking, picnics, wildlife watching or just to sit and relax. Notably the Green Wheel cycle way runs through the middle of the park linking Farcet to the east to Hampton in the west.
Crown Lakes Country Park was established on what was a derelict site left over from the brick-making industry. Two large brick-pits have since been flooded to create a fantastic wetland feature. It was transformed into Crown Lakes Country Park in 1997 with the planting of over 75,000 indigenous trees and shrubs. The park now spans 87 acres of community parkland and is a recreational resource for many surrounding communities.
- Lakes and wetland areas
The lakes are fringed with Common Reed and Bulrush. The water quality is excellent and this supports a wide variety of submerged vegetation. On the western shore of the largest lake a small, shallow inlet has been created and now contains extensive beds of stoneworts, a very rare and ancient algae, that are a special feature of the Peterborough clay pits.
The lakes are a great place to see a wide variety of wildfowl including Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Pochard and Gadwall.
The grassland west of the lake contains several ponds that provide ideal breeding conditions for amphibians including frogs and the rare and protected Great Crested Newt. These wetland areas also support large numbers of dragonflies and damselflies and are a perfect habitat for many species of water beetles and other insects.
- Grassland areas
There is species-rich neutral grassland and scrub present along the eastern and southern sides of the lake where wild-flowers such as Selfheal, Common Centaury, Yellow Wort, Wild Carrot, Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Black Knapweed can be seen. The Green Hairstreak butterfly is here during early summer and on a sunny day you may spot some of the other 23 different species of butterfly found here including the Common Blue, Red Admiral and Painted Lady.
The scrub and grassland mosaic ensures this site is a real stronghold for birds such as the Song Thrush, Blackcap, Goldfinch, Turtle Dove and Yellow-hammer, as well as many other species that are now uncommon across the UK.
Several species of bat have been recorded in the area and recently a 20m long artificial bat tunnel has been constructed to provide ideal conditions for hibernating bats. It is made of a series of large concrete drainage rings that are buried in several feet of soil to create a cool, stable climate that the bats need.
- Audio Tour
Take a walk through the park and discover the area's secrets as you go by downloading an audio tour from www.naturalnet.org.uk onto your phone or MP3 player before you go. The tour presents the history, heritage and local environment of the South Peterborough area in a new and unique way.
O&H Hampton, site owners and management
285 London Road,
Peterborough
PE7 0LD
01733 293220
