Plumley Lime Beds

There is a variety of habitats at this site including semi-natural, broadleaved woodland, calcareous unimproved grassland, a lime-rich lake and reedbed.

Location
Plumley Lime Beds lies just south of the A556 (Northwich bypass) about 1 mile (1.6km) from the village of Plumley (O.S. Grid Ref.: SJ708751). The southern boundary is marked by the Chester/Manchester railway line.

Access
Leave the A556 just east of Lostock Gralam road junction, where the road to Northwich branches off the Northwich bypass. Travelling towards Manchester, turn right up Ascol Drive. Drive past the houses, crossing the 'sleeping policemen', the reserve entrance gates are then seen about 200 metres ahead. Cars should be parked so as not to block the tracks or gates.

Status
The Lime Beds are owned by ICI Ltd who permit Cheshire Wildlife Trust, by agreement, to manage the area as a nature reserve. The reserve covers 58 acres (23 ha). It is clasified as a SSSI. In a county with predominantly neutral to acidic soils, the man-made lime beds of central Cheshire with their calcicole flora are particularly interesting.

Topography
Prior to 1918 the site was occupied by a large Ammonia Soda process factory. After being demolished, a complex of habitats developed within the lime beds (where waste lime slurry was pumped) and around the old factory site. Subsequent subsidence has produced a large lagoon.

Flora
Much of the site is covered with birch/willow scrub woodland which will be thinned eventually and its species composition diversified.
The lime beds, which are the areas of most botanical interest, vary in their degree of vegetation cover. The most westerly lime bed, which has been covered with sub-soil derived from the construction of the M6, is particularly interesting being covered by herb-rich grassland. In places there are damp hollows. The turf contains 10 species of sedge as wll as several orchid species, including fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea, spotted orchid Dactylhoriza fuchsii, northern marsh orchid Dactylhoriza purpurella, southern marsh orchid Dactylhoriza praetermissa, and various hybrids.
In addition, various calcicole species such as yellowort Blackstonia perfoliata and common centaury Centaurium erythraea occur. Some tree planting of native British species has been undertaken on the periphery of this area, including field maple Acer campestre, hazel, ash, rowan and gean Prunus avium. The tracks within the reserve, some of which are derived from ex railway tracks, have associated calcicole species.
The lagoon is fringed with reeds, its interest being mostly ornithological.

Fauna
The woodland and scrub areas provide nesting habitat for blackcap, garden warbler, willow warbler and lesser whitethroat. The reedbeds have reed and sedge warblers, and the lagoon often attracts waders and duck, including common sandpiper, greenshank and teal. The first successful breeding of the little ringed plover in Cheshire was proved here in 1961. The species continued to breed here for several years before moving to other sites in the area.
A bird hide has been erected alongside the lagoon.