Nature Features

"A year ago our dream of a Nature Reserve did not exist. In fact, until June 2006, we didn't even own the land! 

"Initially, the field adjacent to and the 'island' in the middle of the River Dove came up for auction in May 2006, so a group of residents got together to see if we could manage to purchase the land to save it from becoming an eyesore! 

"We arranged meetings, had money pledged from 31 households and, on 10th May, we went to auction and managed to secure the land for the princely sum of £26,000.

"We could just have had the field mown and grazed and left it as a rather uninteresting piece of land but it was decided, unanimously, at our inaugural meeting (where our legal Constitution was adopted, meaning that the land could never be sold again), to try and obtain grants to help raise funds to turn the whole area into a Nature Reserve which could be used and enjoyed by the whole community.

"We sought advice from Natural England, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency to make sure we sympathetically develop the field and island. 

"From historic documents we discovered the field was originally called 'The Thistley Place' so we have decided to call our reserve 'Thistley Place Meadow'.

View of 'the island' from Tutbury bridge

"The land in question is beautifully positioned in the Dove Valley adjacent to the River Dove at Hatton. The field has a marvellous aspect – it is overlooked on the hill behind by Tutbury Castle and Tutbury Church - even the bridge that crosses the River Dove into Staffordshire is Grade 2 listed.

"We already have diverse species of wildlife on the field and island. On the island we have kingfishers, tawny owls and bats. 

"To the rear of the island is the Mill Fleam, which is a protected freshwater backwater (very few of these exist on the Dove) where the pike come to spawn. We have a visiting otter (the recent spore was discovered by DWT) and, as the cleanliness of the water on the River Dove has improved so greatly over recent years, the Environment Agency releases salmon lower down the river and, in the autumn, they can be seen, from the vantage point of our reserve, making their way upriver to spawn.

"We have been extremely fortunate in receiving numerous grants to enable us to get our project underway. We started work in earnest in March with the erection of numerous bird and bat boxes on the field and island (which were all donated). We have commenced the hard mowing programme to the field where we intend to sow/establish the Wildflower Meadow in 2008. 

"Volunteers have recently spent six days on-site where they have worked, in conjunction with prisoners from HMP Sudbury, to dig out the bases for the benches on the field, construct the 'kissing gate' disabled access and install a new stile into the field – the concrete, etc., was again all donated. 

"We have also installed the very important dog 'poop' and litter bins. 

"The marginal planting, along the bank of the River Dove has also been increased – we have used 20 pre-vegetated three-metre length coir rolls which are held in place along the river bank by chestnut stakes.

Looking for otters along the riverbank

"All in all, the project is continuing apace. The Management Committee is mowing/maintaining the pathways on a weekly basis. We are in discussions with the Environment Agency to see if we can solve the problem of the silted-up Mill Fleam, to the rear of the island, which would then leave a physical barrier from Mill Farm. If we can achieve this, we can create a dedicated wildlife sanctuary within our nature reserve and by creating an impenetrable barrier will ensure no-one can enter the island. We can then erect Barn Owl boxes and install a dry run to encourage the otter to colonise the island. 

"Together with the Tawny Owls, bats and kingfishers the island will then have its own unique biodiversity.

"In the Autumn, volunteers will be coming back to site. During this period they will help create the structure for the shrubberies where we shall be planting 450 indigenous shrubs, including hazel, gorse, dogwoods, blackthorn, hawthorn and various roses, which will be underplanted with indigenous bulbs and plug plants. 

"With the introduction of the shrubs, wildflowers and the dedicated nature reserve, we hope to increase the flora and fauna on the land and encourage goldfinches, butterflies and, if we are extremely fortunate, voles to re-inhabit the land.

"All members of the community, old and young alike, are free to come, use and enjoy the enhanced environment we have created. 

"So, should anyone be passing through Hatton, take a minute to look to the left hand side as you pass over Tutbury Bridge into Tutbury. 

"We think you will see the shape of, hopefully, great things to come!" 

Lynne Saul