6 minute read
Discover Swanwick Lakes
Discover Swanwick Lakes
Thirty years ago, on 18 June 1993, TV naturalist Chris Packham cut the ribbon at Swanwick Lakes to declare the nature reserve open to the public.
The largely wooded, wildlife-rich nature reserve has since become one of the Trust’s most popular.
Asked why, senior reserves officer Chris Lycett, who has worked at Swanwick Lakes for over seven years, described the reserve as a brilliant place for nature beginners.
“There are lots of common species to see at Swanwick Lakes, plus a few rare ones,” he said. “You’ll find a good mix of wonderful woodland wildlife with birds like nuthatches, treecreepers, chiffchaffs, blackcaps, marsh tits and woodpeckers.”
The nature reserve’s suite of lakes and ponds also hosts kingfishers, herons and plenty of dragonflies and butterflies, including uncommon species like the downy emerald and white admiral.
Great crested newts enjoy the endless supply of deadwood habitat and will now be moving into their breeding ponds.
Reptiles, meanwhile, such as common lizards and grass snakes, like to bask on the reserve’s south-facing hills and turfed banks in early spring.
At a similar time, the reserve explodes with a bloom of wildflowers – primroses, cowslips, and bluebells – before eyecatching orchids emerge in early summer.
“Swanwick Lakes is a very accessible nature reserve and with its mosaic of habitats, there’s a good chance of seeing interesting wildlife throughout the year,” added Chris.
A colourful history
Prior to becoming a nature reserve, Swanwick Lakes was formerly a prominent strawberry growing site.
The whole area became so significant for its strawberry production that Swanwick railway station was built in the late 19th century specially for exporting the fruits to London.
Even the local coronation celebrations for King George VI were postponed for a fortnight because the ceremony landed during the strawberry picking season.
It then transitioned to become a working clay pit.
The pits ceased operating in the mid-70s and the site was abandoned, essentially becoming a playground for intrepid local children.
Evidence of the nature reserve’s varied history are still visible today.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2022, an otter was spotted for the first time at Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve. This promising sighting is good news for the reserve and for the species.
Relict strawberry furrows remain, while brick paths run through the reserve that point to former conveyor tracks used for transporting clay to the nearby brickworks.
It wasn’t until the early-90s when the Civil Aviation Authority constructed the building which now sits next to the nature reserve – the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) centre – that Swanwick Lakes’ transformation begun.
A partnership between NATS and the Trust was established (and is still going strong to this day) and led to the creation of the 89-acre nature reserve.
An area of the reserve called New Hill was created from the building spoils of the NATS centre – these days it offers ideal grassland habitat for reptiles and wildflowers.
A hub for outdoor education
Aside from the wealth of wildlife found at Swanwick Lakes, the nature reserve also has a thriving on-site outdoor education centre.
It was one of the first education centres to open across the 46 different Wildlife Trusts nationally and is one of three within our Trust.
The centre offers a range of outdoor learning programmes for schools, preschools, and further education groups.
Dawn Preston is one of the Trust’s education officers and started working at Swanwick Lakes in 2010.
Every year she welcomes up to 2,000 children and young adults to the nature reserve, where the woodland become the classroom.
Dawn said: “Swanwick Lakes has such brilliant teaching spaces because it’s not all about one highlight species – it never ceases to amaze me how excited kids get about everyday wildlife like woodlice.
“Getting to see so much wildlife in the woods, or the dipping pond or in the wildflower meadows inspires awe and wonder and provides a gateway to caring about nature.
“My hope is that helps to influence the choices young people make in the future about what they do for a living, how they travel and what they eat because if you don’t care about nature, you’re not going to want to protect it.”
We hope you’ll join some of our familyfriendly events that take place throughout the year at Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve and help us celebrate its 30th anniversary.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to NATS and everyone who has visited, learned at, and supported Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve over the past 30 years.
NOW YOU DO IT
Visit Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Location: Sopwith Way, Swanwick, Hampshire, SO31 7AY
OS Maps grid reference: SU 507 099
Parking: Limited parking available, but the car park closes at dusk. No parking on Sopwith Way.
Nearest train station: Swanwick station (30 min walk).
Facilities: Toilets (including accessible toilet and baby changing facilities) at education centre, although not always available for public use.
Getting around: Waymarked trails, mostly flat, compacted gravel. Other paths off these trails are unsurfaced and often wet and muddy. One steep slope through the meadow at New Hill and one that divides the reserve. Sloping paths for maximum of 40m on blue and red trails.
TOP WILDLIFE TO SPOT
Downy emerald: This hairy dragonfly with a green-copper sheen and bright apple green eyes can be seen near ponds and deciduous woodland in spring and summer.
Kingfisher: Watch out for a flash of electric blue as a kingfisher skims over the lakes and ponds.
Orchids: The reserve’s woodland pastures and wildflower meadows feature common spotted, pyramidal and southern marsh orchids during summer.
THINGS TO DO
Bring a woodland wildlife tick sheet to the nature reserve, plus a pair of binoculars, and see how many species you can spot.
Visit the adjacent Brickworks Museum to learn more about the history of the clay pits that now form Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve.
Explore the nearby River Hamble on a paddleboard or by kayak with the Paddle Centre in Swanwick. Equipment can be hired with an instructor or for solo adventures.
