Yarwell Dingle and Pond
 |
A secluded spring-fed pond and a small island in an attractive part of the Nene valley |
This reserve is in fact two separate tiny areas – the pond is further south while the Dingle is a small patch of scrub and rough grassland on an island between the old and new courses of the River Nene. They are best visited as an extension to a visit to Old Sulehay and Wansford.
The pond is spring-fed and was used originally as a mooring site for boat traffic navigating the Nene. These springs are clean and cool, and produce clusters of lightweight rocks known as ‘tufa’. Sensitive treatment of the spring and use of the land above it is very important because stoneflies and other insects, rarely recorded anywhere else in Northamptonshire, thrive here.
The Dingle itself is a small patch of scrub with some grassy areas between. These provide a sunspot for dragonflies and butterflies. The scrub may provide a useful lying up site for otters, which are now known to be present throughout this stretch of the Nene.
 |
Plants: Cuckoo flower, cowslip |
Plants: Greater spearwort Insects: Stoneflies, dragonflies, butterflies Birds: Kingfisher |
 |