Dinton Pastures Country Park
Dinton Pastures Country Park is a country park in the civil parish of St Nicholas Hurst, in the borough of Wokingham, near Reading in the English county of Berkshire.
Geography and site
[edit]The park is 450 acres (180 ha) in size.[1] It has seven lakes, two rivers, three public bird hides, and meadows.[2] One of the lakes, Lavells Lake is designated as a local nature reserve.[3] The two rivers that flow through the park are the River Loddon and the Emm Brook.[4][5] The Museum of Berkshire Aviation and the headquarters of the British Entomological and Natural History Society are both located in the park.[6][7]
The site is popular for a number of sports including sailing, angling, kayaking, canoeing,[2] and running, playing host to a parkrun.[8] Other facilities include play areas and a cafe.[9][10]
History
[edit]Anglo Saxons farmed the park's river meadows and called the area Whistley, where "wisc" means marshy meadows and "lei" means a woodland clearing.[11] From the start of the 17th century, much of the area then belonged to Windsor Forest.[12]
The present-day cafe was originally a farmhouse built in 1904, which was called 'High Chimneys'.[13] In 1924 the area was sold to a farmer who renamed the farm after his home village of Dinton, near Aylesbury.[14]
The country park is part of the river Loddon's flood plain and so makes a good source of gravel, between 1969 and 1979 an extensive gravel extraction program was carried out. Much of the gravel was used for the M4 and the A329(M).[15]
In 1979 Dinton Pastures was opened to the public.[16] In 1992, part of the country park, Lavells Lake, was declared as a local nature reserve by Wokingham Borough Council.[3]
Fauna
[edit]The site has the following fauna:[5][12][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]
Mammals
[edit]- Soprano pipistrelle
- Common pipistrelle
- Daubenton's bat
- Brown long-eared bat
- European rabbit
- Red fox
- Roe deer
- Muntjac deer
- Stoat
- Weasel
- Wood mouse
- Eastern grey squirrel
- Field vole
- Mink
Invertebrates
[edit]- Anax imperator
- Aeshna grandis
- Aeshna cyanea
- Aeshna mixta
- Brachytron pratense
- Orthetrum cancellatum
- Sympetrum striolatum
- Sympetrum sanguineum
- Libellula quadrimaculata
- Libellula depressa
- Cordulia aenea
- Cordulegaster boltonii
- Aeshna juncea
- Calopteryx virgo
- Pyrrhosoma nymphula
- Enallagma cyathigerum
- Coenagrion lunulatum
- Ischnura elegans
- Erythromma najas
- Pieris napi
- Pieris brassicae
- Anthocharis cardamines
- Pieris rapae
- Gonepteryx rhamni
- Pyronia tithonus
- Maniola jurtina
- Melanargia galathea
- Aphantopus hyperantus
- Pararge aegeria
- Polygonia c-album
- Vanessa cardui
- Aglais io
- Vanessa atalanta
- Aglais urticae
- Polyommatus icarus
- Celastrina argiolus
- Aricia agestis
- Lycaena phlaeas
- Thymelicus sylvestris
- Thymelicus lineola
- Ochlodes sylvanus
Birds
[edit]- Little grebe
- Great crested grebe
- Bittern
- Little egret
- Grey heron
- Greylag goose
- Canada goose
- Mute swan
- Egyptian goose
- Shelduck
- Mandarin
- Eurasian wigeon
- Gadwall
- Teal
- Mallard
- Northern pintail
- Garganey
- Shoveler
- Red-crested pochard
- Pochard
- Tufted duck
- Goldeneye
- Smew
- Goosander
- Red kite
- Marsh harrier
- Sparrowhawk
- Common buzzard
- Osprey
- Common kestrel
- Hobby
- Peregrine falcon
- Red-legged partridge
- Pheasant
- Water rail
- Moorhen
- Coot
- Oystercatcher
- Little ringed plover
- Ringed plover
- Golden plover
- Northern lapwing
- Dunlin
- Ruff
- Jack snipe
- Common snipe
- Black-tailed godwit
- Bar-tailed godwit
- Eurasian whimbrel
- Eurasian curlew
- Common redshank
- Greenshank
- Green sandpiper
- Common sandpiper
- Mediterranean gull
- Little gull
- Black-headed gull
- Common gull
- Lesser black-backed gull
- Herring gull
- Yellow-legged gull
- Greater black-backed gull
- Sandwich tern
- Common tern
- Arctic tern
- Black tern
- Feral pigeon
- Stock dove
- Woodpigeon
- Collared dove
- Ring-necked parakeet
- Common cuckoo
- Barn owl
- Little owl
- Tawny owl
- Common swift
- Common kingfisher
- Eurasian green woodpecker
- Great spotted woodpecker
- Skylark
- Sand martin
- Swallow
- House martin
- Meadow pipit
- Western yellow wagtail
- Grey wagtail
- Pied wagtail
- Eurasian wren
- Dunnock
- Robin
- Nightingale
- Redstart
- Whinchat
- Stonechat
- Northern wheatear
- Common blackbird
- Fieldfare
- Redwing
- Song thrush
- Sedge warbler
- Reed warbler
- Lesser whitethroat
- Whitethroat
- Garden warbler
- Blackcap
- Common chiffchaff
- Willow warbler
- Goldcrest
- Firecrest
- Spotted flycatcher
- Long-tailed tit
- Coal tit
- Blue tit
- Great tit
- Nuthatch
- Treecreeper
- Jay
- Magpie
- Jackdaw
- Rook
- Carrion crow
- Raven
- Starling
- House sparrow
- Chaffinch
- Brambling
- Greenfinch
- European goldfinch
- Siskin
- Linnet
- Lesser redpoll
- Bullfinch
- Reed bunting
Amphibians and reptiles
[edit]Fish
[edit]- Common rudd
- Common roach
- Tench
- Common bream
- Northern pike
- Common barbel
- European chub
- Common carp
- European perch
- Three-spined stickleback
Flora
[edit]The site has the following flora:[30][31][32]
Trees
[edit]Plants
[edit]- Impatiens glandulifera
- Leucojum aestivum
- Ulex europaeus
- Anthriscus sylvestris
- Dipsacus
- Primula veris
- Phragmites communis
- Inula helenium
References
[edit]- ^ "Walks and nature - Dinton Pastures Country Park". Dinton-pastures.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Dinton Pastures Country Park | Wokingham Directory". Directory.wokingham.gov.uk. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Natural England - Special Sites". Lnr.naturalengland.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Friends of the Emm Brook". foteb.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Fishing - Dinton Pastures Country Park". Dinton-pastures.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "West Berkshire Council - Dinton Pastures Country Park - Wokingham Local Offer". Fis.westberks.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "HOME - British Entomological & Natural History Society". Benhs.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "home | Dinton Pastures parkrun | Dinton Pastures parkrun". www.parkrun.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
- ^ "Children's play park". Dintonpastures.co.uk. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Dragonfly cafe". Dintonpastures.co.uk. 9 January 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Walker's Walks: September 2005 - Dinton Pastures". Walkerswalks.typepad.com. 23 September 2005. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ a b "A World of Water and Wildlife at Dinton Pastures - Walks". The AA. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ "History of Dinton Pastures". Dintonpastures.co.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ "History - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ "Britain Outdoors - Berkshire Dinton Pastures Trail Details". Berkshire.britainoutdoors.com. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ "Dinton Pastures Country Park – Reading Voluntary Action". Rva.org.uk. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Mammals - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Butterflies & Moths - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Dragonflies & Damselflies - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Other Wildlife - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Divers - Herons - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Swans - Ducks - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. 10 November 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Raptors - Rails - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Waders - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Skuas - Terns - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Pigeons - Woodpeckers - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Larks - Chats - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Thrushes - Warblers - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Crests - Crows - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Starlings > Buntings - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Flora - Friends of Lavell's Lake". Foll.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "WDVTA 10th Anniversary Report - Parishes and Towns". Wdvta.org.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
External links
[edit]- Media related to Dinton Pastures Country Park at Wikimedia Commons
- Wokingham Borough Council: Dinton Pastures Country Park
- Photo gallery featuring Dinton Pastures Carp