Our Nature Reserves:	Noakes Grove	Kings Field	Scotch Patch
Village	Sewards End	Hempstead	Wimbish
What 3 Words	dolly.provider.stunts	argued.truffles.cement	lakes.oaks.simulator

Noakes Grove, Sewards End

Noakes Grove

Noakes Grove from the air.

Noakes Grove 1758

A map of Noakes Grove from 1758

fox & cub

Foxes breed at Noakes Grove .

Noakes Grove is the reserve we acquired first and the only one we own outright. It has four main habitat types three of which appear on a 1758 map in exactly the positions they are now. The then woodland area gives its name to the whole reserve and has lasted 600 years since a Mr Nokes was given permission to create a small-holding by clearing a virgate of forest belonging to the monks at what is now Audley End.

The scrub area only developed when the Reeve brothers (the farmers of the area for most of the 20th century) abandoned grazing the area sometime around 1970. It is the habitat of a large population of Wild Liquorice - a very rare and local plant in East Anglia.

Top of page

.

Kings Field, Hempstead

.

Kings Field Hempstead

Kings field - between road and intensive arable

BARN OWL

Barn owls nest in an owl box at Kings Field

brdge building

Building the bridge from cricket bats to pond corner

............

Most of Kings Field straddles the Bumpsted Brook (a tributary of the Ouse) and is developing into flower-rich meadows following the sessation of ararble farming in the 1990s. The field between the road and the brook is called the "cricket batn field" as the cricket-bat willows were planted in the 1990s and are doing well. One day they may play for England.

The grassland area is grazed on a rotation basis by our sheep.

There is a pond dug in 2023 which has already attracted a range of dragonflies and damselflies.

Top of page

Scotch Patch, Ellis Green, Wimbish

Scotch Parch / Ellis Green

Scotch Patch and Ellis Green

adams pearmain

Adams Pearmain

Scotch Patch is a one acre traditional orchard planted with local varieties of apple, cherry and plum. It is no pesticide nor artificial fertiliser use (like all our reserves). and so has a good variety of wild flowers and insects. The hedgerow is shown on the earliest maps of the area and the roadside hedges have wonderful mature oak trees, while the rest of the hedges have mainly elms regrowing as young trees after the decline of Dutch Elm Disease.

Scotch Patch is the southern part of a large area of common land which is, in effect, a nature reserve and, along with Scotch Patch, is a Local Wildlife Site. Like Scotch Patch it is open to visitors on foot at all times.

Top of page

Children

dinosaur walk

The home-educated Wild Child group walking to Kings Field from Noakes Grove.

treasure hunt

Treasure hunting....

While children are always welcome as part of family groups visiting any of our reserves, we put great effort into providing special activities for children.

Wild Child is an open-air club, mainly at Noakes Grove, for home-educated 6 - 11-year olds who study willdife, have fun and sometimes camp out. The club meets once a fortnight year round. There is no charge for Wild Child but donations are welcome.

We also organise open-air wildlife orientated birthday parties.

There are also children's activities that use our reserves to provide other activities: a forest school for Bell Nursery (2-3 year olds) and mindfulness or relaxation training on a one-to-one basis for children of any age.

Top of page