When the clay in these pits ran out, the site developed naturally into a wildlife haven, preventing it from being used for landfill. It is now a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Local Nature Reserve.
The outstanding wildlife interest is the 63 species of water beetle found in the shallow pools. Damselflies and dragonflies also emerge from the pools in spring and summer to fly along the edge of the water. Kingfishers hunt fish in the pools while snipe, shoveler and teal feed at the water’s edge. The reedbeds provide important habitat for birds; bittern and marsh harrier have been known to nest here. Also on the site are isolated pools where invertebrates seek refuge away from the fish in the main lake.
The grassland banks are cloaked with flowering plants including bee and pyramidal orchids, which attract insects such as the meadow brown butterfly. Sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, tawny owl and kestrel hunt here. The trees and shrubs provide an area for a variety of birds including woodpeckers, longtailed tit and greenfinch.
Management work completed by the Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire & Northamptonsire Wildlife Trust includes re-excavating the pools and creating new ponds with diggers to ensure we maintain a mix of different successional stages. We mow the meadow areas and keep them clear of scrub.
Across Hodney Road from Dogsthorpe Star Pit to the east, Little Wood is an area of ancient woodland with large pollarded oaks; visit in spring to see the bluebells.
Additional information
- Size: 37 hectares
- No entry fee
- Parking information: along Hodney Road off White Post Road next to Little Wood
- Walking trails: Dogsthorpe - brick chippings, undulating, some steep sections. No swimming; the water is extremely deep and cold. Beware: the clay in the pit is soft and may behave like quicksand.
- Access: Northeast of Peterborough, in a triangle shape between the A16 and the A47 (Eye Road).
- Please keep dogson a lead
- Open at all times
- Best time to visit: March to May, June to September
- Note that the water is extremely deep and cold; no swimming is allowed.
- Beware: the clay in the pit is soft and may behave like quicksand.
Free
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