On Wednesday 3rd May we went for a walk round Bodenham Lakes Nature Reserve managed by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and not far from Queenswood Arboretum.
D had seen an Apple Festival advertised in Leominster for the following weekend and one of the events was a walk around the Bodenham orchards. Well we'd be back at home by then but I said there's nothing to stop us walking round the orchards on our own. The two orchards there have been cultivated since arund 1700 and they contain cider and dessert apples, some perry pear, cherry, greengages and walnut trees. More trees have been planted in recent years.
Blossom was starting to appear.
Bodenham Lakes habitats include the orchards as seen above, meadows, one of the largest lakes in the county and wet woodland. Once part of Lady Cross Farm the site was used for gravel extraction from the late 1800's. In the 1980's when quarrying ceased the pits were linked to form one large lake which covers about 50 acres. It is an important breeding and overwintering site for waterfowl. The Lake is designated a site of local importance and where the reserve borders the River Lugg it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special area of Conservation. 160 species of bird have been recorded and otters are regularly seen. It is a good site too for dragon and damselflies.
In 2018 Herefordshire Wildlife Trust started to naturalise the steep sides of the lake and created shallows and reedbeds. In 2019 3 islands on the lake were improved for birds such as Little Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher. An Osprey platform was also installed.
Lots of wild flowers - daisies, dandelions, a cranesbill species I think (apparently you need to examine leaves closely to work out the exact species - oh well I will know next time) and Hawthorn is starting to flower.
We walked back past the car park and along the other side of the lake (you can't do a complete circuit as part of the lake is closed to protect the wildlife and seeing all the dogs on the reserve that is probably a good idea!).
St Michael and All Angels Bodenham - I've walked round the churchyard in the past but not yet been in the church.
River Lugg
Cuckoo Flower or Lady's Smock
White Dead Nettle
We didn't see many birds - a few Canada Geese, Mallard and a Mute Swan on the lake. When we sat on a bench for a while there were birds flying very swiftly between trees but impossible to id them.
Final few photos by D - the first one is a Speedwell.
We wondered if these were Toad tadpoles apparently Bodenham Lakes is an important breeding site for toads and thousands follow historic migration routes to reach the lake.
D made this feta and olive tart for tea - we had it with the asparagus (grilled in oil) bought from the farmshop in Bromyard. Rosie you mentioned it sounded like something you would enjoy so here is a link to the Recipe
We came home on the Thursday - I still hope one day we may be able to stay for longer - a week perhaps! I am very grateful though to have such a refuge to visit especially as that building work next door goes on and on and on. Having demolished and rebuilt the roof and added a huge loft extension (with dormer windows not in original planning permission and in fact they were told in the approval they could not add any more windows especially dormer windows at the rear of the property - they have added 7 extra!!!). They then demolished and rebuilt with huge extensions the rear and they are now demolishing the side of the house furthest from us and rebuilding and starting to do the same to the front of the property!!!!
Photos taken by me with the Pansonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and those marked *D by my son with the Canon SX50HS Bridge camera (If anyone wishes to use one of my photos or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).
Reference:
Herefordshire Wildlife Trust Guide to their reserves
13 comments:
It's amazing how much fruit we import when we have a history of having a wealth of tree fruit in this country. And given the current economic and global climates we should be looking at investing in orchards and more arable land. OK, stepping down gracefully off my soap box now. D's tart looks utterly delicious. Gift cards online like Rosie. I should be going to look at that recipe. Treasure is waving at Timothy.
Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much and I totally agree with you about having more orchards. I get fed up with getting apples from supermarkets which have travelled from France,South Africa or New Zealand when I want English apples! Lack of fruit pickers is I think another problem no doubt due to Brexit!
I hope you try the recipe we loved it. Timothy waves back to Treasure :)
Lovely to see Timothy out and about and still warmly wrapped up! It's been chilly here nearly all the time, with a persistent east or north-easterly wind off the North Sea. There is something indescribably uplifting about being among blossom; for me your walk conjures up images of junior school ... we danced round the maypole (having spent hours learning our steps to make the coloured ribbons weave the best pattern) ... and then we recited 'The Cherry Tree' by Housman. This was all on 1st May, and we began by washing our faces in the dew after Registration. I don't think we had any cherry blossom out on May Day this year!
Bodenham Lakes looks like a great place to vist. A good idea to walk around the orchards whilst it is quieter no doubt the apple festival days would be very busy. Orchards are wonderful places aren't they? I always love an orchard or a walled garden to walk around. The tart looks wonderful, thank you so much for the link to the recipe which I've bookmarked. It looks easy to make too. We always have a roll of puff pastry in the freezer as we sometimes make cheese and spinach pie or an open tart with mediteranean vegetables as a treat with salad but asparagus sounds good too. I must look for some as it seems ages since we ate asparagus. All the building work next door sounds horrendous so it's good you have a place to go to get away from it for a while:)
Caroline Gill - Thanks so much. These few days we spent in Herefordshire had a bitterly cold wind too. What really lovely images you paint of your time at junior school with the Maypole and reciting poems. I was only thinking today of Housman - I must re-read some of his work.
Rosie - Thanks so much. I agree with you about it being quieter and you can appreciate the beauty and peace of it all when on your own I feel. I love orchards and walled gardens too. NT properties do walled gardens very well.
I hope you enoy the tart - it is quick and easy and an ideal meal to cook when we are at the caravan.
The building work is causing me so many sleepless nights. YEsterday they dropped a tile on our patio which landed on greenhouse roof and broke a pane. Fair enough builder apologised and offered to repair which we said no to - I have no wish to have them in my garden and I wouldn't trust the quality of their work. So we said we'd arrange repair and send them the bill. Party Wall AGreement said they had to screen our greenhouse roof which they did initially but then took it down. HAd words with the owner over that today. I don't think I would have coped if I hadn't been able to escape tbh.
We have newts in our pond and have noticed newt tadpoles in the past. I will have to look out for tadpoles at the caravan site lakes we go to
Billy Blue Eyes - Thanks so much. We have newts in the pond at home but the frog tadpoles seem to have disappeared over the last two years. Too many newts I fear!
looks a nice spot to visit... that church tower looks odd?
The Quacks of Life - Thanks Pete. Just checked Pevsner - he calls the top bit a "funny but memorable feature of a little pyramid roof on top of a never completed spire"!
Yor lovely visit is in stark contrast to the horrors you are experiencing at home.
Hopefully your meighbours property won't be too awful for you when it finally gets completed.
You should have a week break, you will love it. Time to relax and explore in greater detail.
CherryPie - Thank you for your kind words. I wish we could stay for a week tbh - perhaps when our daughter finally moves full time into her flat. These 3 to 4 night breaks are not enough with what is going on next door. Thanks again.
Have you complained to the council about what your neighbours are doing? It would be great to see them have to take out what they have put in which does not have planning permission.... (evil grin).
I wish we could get puff pastry in France but you can only get flaky which I hate, and I am not going to make puff pastry! I think I did once at school but once was enough. The tart looks yummy!
The lake is brilliant, they are really doing a good job there and are being well rewarded with all the new wildlife which is starting to nest/appear/lay etc.
In case I don't find it, which post has the Heath Spotted Orchids? If you have posted them, that is.
MillyMollyMandy - Thanks so much. We objected to the plans right from the start - on reflection will send you a dm as just realised anyone can read this blog.
I wouldn't make puff pastry either not even rough puff!!!! Sorry you can't get it in France what a pain.
I like that reserve too its a lovely walk but OH for some reason not so keen. The post on Stockings Meadow about 3 more recent than this post has the orchids. Hope you find and enjoy :)
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