The reserve entrance is at the end of the crescent next to house number 38. A double wooden gate across the entrance is normally padlocked to prevent fly-tipping, and a key must be obtained from Lower House Farm. Please ensure this gate is locked behind you when you leave.

Description

Kingsway is a brownfield site, situated in a residential area of Hereford City, and immediately adjacent to the main railway line on its western boundary. The eastern boundary is formed by the back garden fences of the residents of Kingsway. The reserve is what is left of a much larger derelict area, which became developed for housing.

The reserve was created in 1999 because of its large population of Slow worms, a protected species under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. The land was unsuitable for building and passed into the care of HNT so that the future of these attractive legless lizards could be assured. The site may well contain litter deposited by unwelcome visitors. Please be aware that some of this material (particularly flat stones, corrugated iron sheets and old carpet sections) is there to provide sheltering places for the Slow worm population, and should not be disturbed unless you are a registered monitor of these reptiles.

The Slow worms are dependent on the nearby gardens for valuable hibernation sites in the form of compost heaps. The reserve area, the adjacent railway embankment, as well as the gardens, all provide a varied feeding and sun-basking habitat.

When first acquired, the site contained large amounts of domestic rubbish and builders' debris. This has virtually all been cleared by Trust work-parties, who have also given the site a face-lift by cutting back a lot of the rank vegetation and overgrown bramble thickets. Much of the site is now clear and much more open. A few trees remain: there is a small grove of Wild Cherry, one third of the way along the site and there is a mature berry-bearing Hawthorn and an Elder in the upper section. One area of Bramble thicket has been left to provide more dense cover and a nectar source for butterflies.

Management is aimed at clearing any invasive scrub and creating/establishing better cover and feeding areas in the form of long grass, log-piles and rock heaps. Encouraging local residents, whose gardens back onto the site, to take an interest in the Slow worm population will help to ensure the survival of this beautiful reptile.

Freehold acquired in August 2000 from Beazer Homes Ltd.

General Information

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