Page 38 - Oundle Life January 2025

PARK
LIFE
Anyone got a boat?
Autumn started off quite pleasantly this year at Barnwell, we were able to open up the channels from the reedbed into the park’s wildlife refuge of Middle Lake. The reedbed was able to be brush cut in September, the same day as the hay meadows were cut ready to create grass piles which provide habitat for many of the park’s wildlife, specifically reptiles, amphibians and hibernating mammals.
back thicker which would still allow for birds to nest within it. The Blackthorn, Prunus spinosa, on the boundary between the car park and the den building area has been cleared and bollards put in place. This gives visitors a clear view from the car park onto Mill Lake and beyond.
In October, the car park worked with the Kingfisher Café to run a Halloween trail where you had to find all of the spooky figures. We
But then the rain came down and
the water level began to rise. So much
so, that in September the paths around
Mill Lake, West Meadow and North
Lake were fully submerged. The ground
was so saturated and the water could
not go anywhere that it had flowed onto
the Barnwell Road. The flooding not
only severely reduces the number of
visitors that Barnwell would attract but it also has a negative impact of how much habitat work the rangers and volunteers can get completed before bird nesting season and the worse winter weather.
Since the flooding receded, the rangers and volunteers have been busy with habitat work and general tasks to help develop Barnwell’s visitor experience. The jobs this winter included reducing the height of the hedge within the car park, this will hopefully allow visitors to find parking spaces easier, but also make the car park safer to use; the hedge will hopefully grow
hope everyone that took part had fun and managed to explore the park whilst on the hunt. Keep a look out as we will be running a similar trail with added bits for school holidays going forward.
Hopefully 2025 will see Barnwell continue to develop for both the visitor experience and the wildlife that can be seen.
If you are wanting to get out and enjoy the countryside then our brilliant education rangers run weekly wednesday Wellbeing Walks. If
this is something you would like to join in on, then come along every Wednesday at 1.30pm, outside the Kingfisher Café.
Hopefully 2025 will see Barnwell continue to develop
If you would like to get involved at Barnwell or know someone who does, then please email: barnwellcountrypark.NCC@ northnorthants.gov.uk
Liam Claris - Barnwell Country Park Ranger
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