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The Coversands Natural Area is fortunate enough to
have a number of sites available for you to visit. Press on the Site
Locations (under the map below/right) to download more information about
each site as well as a map and a suggested route for you to take. Or
if you
know the area that you want to visit use the left hand navigation panel
to chose a site to find out more.
Summary
The Coversands heathland is an extraordinary
mosaic of heather, acid and calcareous grasslands, mire and inland sand
dunes.
It is thought that
lowland heath developed via the grazing of woodland, therefore, preventing
the regrowth of trees. Two hundred years ago there was over 60,000
hectares of Coversands in the region, but this has dwindled to 700
hectares. These ‘forgotten’ heathlands are rarer than tropical
rainforest and the UK possess 20% of the world’s total of this
habitat. The Coversands Tomorrow’s Heathland Heritage Project
is assisting in restoring and re-creating heath in the region.
History
Mesolithic hunting groups arrived in the region 10,000 years ago. Trees
were ring barked to create clearings in which they could attract wild
animals for easier hunting.
6,000 years ago, a more technologically advanced group of Neolithic
farmers arrived here bringing domesticated animals and pottery skills.
The ‘Beaker’ people settled at Manton and possibly Risby.
Around 3,000 years ago the climate became cooler and wetter and the
remaining nutrients in the soil were leached away. When the Romans
arrived, they ignored the poor soils of the heath and farmed the nutrient
rich clay soils on the Wolds. The Saxons used these marginal Coversands
sites for burials such as at Manton.
Heaths provided common grazing, fuel, thatch for dwellings and animal
bedding. In the 1700s the introduction of rabbits provided a motive
for maintaining the heath. Rabbits were a lucrative commodity, the
warrens of the area were reportedly, Britain’s biggest and most
productive. The rabbit or ‘coney’ skins were prepared and
sent far and wide for use in hat manufacture centred in Brigg.
The World Wars brought about farm amalgamation, pressure on water resources
led to lower water tables and desiccation of wet heaths. First World
War practice trenches can still be seen at Linwood Warren. Pig rearing
became popular on Coversands sites and with the development of the
M180 motorway, steelwork expansion, urban development, iron sand and
gravel extraction at Messingham and Ancaster, 90% of the heaths were
lost over the last 200 years.
Heathland sites were important for game birds. A gamekeeper was employed
to manage the game bird population on Atkinson’s Warren earlier
this century and are still being managed for game on Risby Warren and
Laughton.
Ecological Heritage
Heath is a highly specialised and rapidly declining habitat unique
to north-west Europe. It is home to a specialised fauna and flora,
notably reptiles, dragonflies and damselflies, unusual plants and birds
- some of which are confined to this habitat.
Wet Heath
Plants include cross-leaved heath, purple moor grass, cotton grass,
sundews and sphagnum moss. The rare marsh gentian, bog asphodel and
heath spotted orchid are found here. Birds such as the hobby, reptiles
such as toad, dragonflies such as common darter and Emperor and damselflies
can be found here.
Dry Heath
Covered by extensive tracts of heather and gorse and attracting birds
such as the nightjar and hen harrier. The adder, slow worm, common
lizard and grass snake live on the heath. Grasses such as bristle bent
and sheep’s fescue are found here. Butterflies include small
copper.
Acid Grassland
Often lichen rich, with the habitat balance maintained by intensive
grazing, often by rabbits. Heathland plants such as haresfoot clover,
wavy hairgrass, yarrow, harebell and common centaury. Birds such as
the woodlark and green woodpecker will be found here. Butterflies include
the gatekeeper and grayling.
Woodland Edge
The woodland edge is a crossroad between two very different worlds
and is very rich in wildlife. It provides food, shelter and nesting
sites for birds such as tree pipit and sparrowhawk, mammals such as
fox and stoat and butterflies such as the speckled wood. In autumn,
this habitat tends to be rich in fungi such as fly agaric and parasol
mushrooms.
Volunteering
We aim to involve local people in the management and monitoring of
Coversands sites, increase their understanding of local heritage and
gain local support for the sustainable conservation of the heathland
resource. For details on volunteering check out www.lincstrust.org.uk,
www.coversands.org.uk and www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/nottinghamshire.
 Download
a
Brochure of the habitats of the Coversands Heathlands
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Site Locations
 Hatfield
 Epworth Turbary
 Frodingham Nature reserve
 Atkinsons Warren
 Messingham Sand Quarry
 Scotton Common
 Owlets Plantation
 Linwood Warren
 Ostlers Plantation
 Moor Farm
 Kirkby Moor
 Spalford Warren
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