PENNY PASTURE COMMON NATURE RESERVE
Introduction
Penny Pasture Common lies adjacent to the Trust’s Eakring Meadows Reserve and forms part of a complex of wet grassland alongside the Beck. It is a traditional piece of common land and is managed by the Trust in agreement with the Lord of the Manor.
About the reserve
Penny Pasture Common is a 6.7 hectare species-poor neutral grassland and marsh with scattered hawthorn bushes on alluvial soils over Mercia Mudstones. There is a large central pond surrounded by marsh and the Beck forms the northern site boundary. The site forms part of the Eakring & Maplebeck Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Whilst the flora is not particularly rich the site is important for invertebrates and birds. The grassland holds a good numbers of moth species and the pond has a wide variety of aquatic species. Common snipe frequent the pond during the winter months and teal numbers can be quite high for such a small body of water. The valley of the Beck appears to be a migration flyway and good numbers of all bird families are regularly recorded on passage. With the occasional rare bird turning up in the area it is worth spending some time observing the Common during migration periods.
Conservation management
The site suffered from a lack of grazing for many years, but this has now been reversed. Whilst botanical richness is not expected to increase markedly, continued grazing management should be of benefit to birds and invertebrates.
How to get there
From the village of Eakring take the minor road to Maplebeck and the common is on the left immediately adjacent to the Eakring Meadows Nature Reserve.
Further Information
If you would like further details about the reserve, or if you are interested in getting involved in the management of the site, please call the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Office on 0115 958 8242