Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits

Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits is a 1,382.4 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in a chain of flooded gravel pits along 35 kilometres of the valley of the River Nene between Northampton and Thorpe Waterville (east of Kettering) in Northamptonshire.[1][3][4] It is a Ramsar wetland site of international importance,[5] a Special Protection Area under the European Communities Birds Directive[6] and part of the Nene Valley Nature Improvement Area. It is also part of the River Nene Regional Park.[7] Two areas are managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, Summer Leys and Titchmarsh Nature Reserve.[8][9]

Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Area of SearchNorthamptonshire
Grid referenceSP 928 693[1]
InterestBiological
Area1,382.4 hectares[1]
Notification2005[1]
Location mapMagic Map
Designations
Official nameUpper Nene Valley Gravel Pits
Designated4 July 2011
Reference no.2023[2]

This site is described by Natural England as "a nationally important site for its breeding bird assemblage of lowland open waters and their margins, wintering waterbird species, an assemblage of over 20,000 waterbirds in the non-breeding season and a rare example of wet floodplain woodland." The diverse habitats include, marsh, reedswamp, rough grassland, scrub, wet ditches, woodland and rush pasture. There are at least 21 breeding bird species, including mute swans, tufted ducks, little grebes, great crested grebes, little ringed plovers and redshanks.[4]

There is access to some parts of the site such as Summer Leys.

References
  1. "Designated Sites View: Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  2. "Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. "Map of Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  4. "Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  5. "Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS): Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  6. "Special Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive. Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  7. "Nene Valley Nature Improvement Area". River Nene Regional Park. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  8. "Summer Leys". Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  9. "Titchmarsh". Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Retrieved 21 December 2016.

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