Bennerley Marsh
by Mark Keighley
Access: Bennerley Marsh is a large complex located between Awsworth in Nottinghamshire and Cotmanhay in Derbyshire. Parking is casual at various points depicted in the maps. The easiest viewing point for the southern section of the marshes is at SK473434 off the minor road between Awsworth and Ilkeston. The site is also accessible by bus either from Ilkeston town centre or any bus which stops near Ilkeston Town Football Club.
Habitat: The diverse nature of the site is part of its wildlife attraction. The central feature is the River Erewash which flows through from north to south. The river frequently breaches its banks, providing excellent habitat for birds such as Teal, Snipe and Golden Plover. The site is also comprised of a canal, disused railway banks and small plantations.
Birds: Thanks to regular watching the site has produced some excellent county birds in recent years. Most famous was an immature Sabine's Gull in September 1994 which, although twitchable, still only found its way on to a select fews county list. Other good site birds have included Spoonbill, Goshawk, Grey Phalarope (1997) and Mediterranean Gull. The potential for the site to turn up a rare duck such as Blue-winged Teal, a rare wader such as either American or Pacific Golden Plover or indeed any of the Nearctic waders is high and we all look forward to visiting and (hopefully, this time) ticking the latest Bennerley rarity.
Further information: The Bennerley Marsh Wildlife Group records all aspects of wildlife at Bennerley Marsh. New members are always welcome and for a modest fee can enjoy newsletters and an annual report which details the records from Bennerley. To join the group, contact:
Richard Rogers, 19 Arundel Drive, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 3FX.Introduction
A few years ago the Nottinghamshire Birdwatchers newsletter carried a report of Snipe at Bennerley Marsh followed by the editorial comment "wherever that is". Thankfully, following some excellent birds including Nottinghamshire's second twitchable Sabine's Gull, most birders now know where it is. Bennerley's wildlife interest is not only limited to birds with, to the end of 1996, 22 species of butterfly and 15 species of dragonfly recorded. Of particular note in 1995 was the July record of Silver-washed Fritillary, the first in Nottinghamshire since 1917. The whole site is clearly a well watched and diverse set of habitats which are of great county importance in terms of wildlife value and diversity. The numbers of wintering birds, particularly Golden Plover, are ample reason why Bennerley Marsh must be protected and should not give way to the open-cast mining which has so stricken much of the Erewash Valley.
Finally, if visiting the site, please stick to public footpaths and avoid trespassing. Groups such as the Bennerley Marsh Wildlife Group greatly rely on the goodwill of landowners for access, visitors behaviour should never compromise that goodwill.
There are Two Natural History Walks around Bennerley Marsh
Walk A
Both walks are approximately three miles long.
Park at the Shipley Boat Public House (SK462453) and walk the Erewash Canal turning left along the towpath. Soon the river flows under the canal and here is an excellent place to see Kingfisher and Banded Demoiselle damselfly. Continuing along the towpath look for both Red-eyed and Azure damselfly, the former preferring to rest on floating vegetation. Cross the canal at Eastwood Lock using the footbridge. Running away from you is a derelict railway embankment which is overgrown with Hawthorn and Bramble and is an excellent site for commoner butterflies. It was also the aforementioned site of the 1995 Silver-washed Fritillary. The River Erewash flows past the end of the embankment and by following it you pass through several unspoilt meadows. The first one, which is adjacent to the embankment, contains a small marsh which is a regular winter site for Jack Snipe. The drier areas of the meadow are awash with Ladysmock in spring and clouds of the Chimney Sweep moth in summer. Small and Large Skipper along with Meadow Brown butterflies also occur.
After several more meadows the Milnhay Water Treatment Works is reached. The Alders on the far bank of the river here hold Redpoll and Siskin in the winter along with other small passerines. It was at this point that a Spotted Crake was seen in 1997.
To continue the walk cross the bridge further up the canal and walk the opposite bank. After 200m you reach a derelict section of the Nottingham Canal. In the sections of the canal that hold water, Emerald, Common, blue-tailed and Azure Damselflies occur along with Common Darter and Migrant and Southern Hawker dragonflies. This area also occasionally hold the rather local Large Red Damselfly.
The canal peters out at a metalled road where, if you look at the first telegraph pole on the right, you will see a very large Wild Hop which is extremely fragrant in late summer. Continue down the lane, crossing the River Erewash once again and arriving back at your starting point, hopefully coinciding your arrival with opening time and a well earned glass!
Walk B
Park at the entrance to the Linley Plant (SK473434) on the access road but taking care not to block it. Walk back over the railway bridge to the small pond on the left hand side, access is from the side of the Ilkeston Town football ground. This area holds a good selection of odonata including Migrant, Southern and brown Hawker and Ruddy Darter. Damselflies include Azure, Red-eyed and Emerald along with the Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselfly. Return to the road and walk to the Erewash Canal, turn right and walk the rather unproductive towpath for about 750m. When you reach the Bridge Inn, the habitat and its wildlife begins to improve. By continuing north you will reach Tathame Pond at SK468446. This small pond has a Phragmites reedbed which holds up to six pairs of Reed Warbler in summer along with the ubiquitous Sedge Warbler. The nearby railway embankment sometimes has reeling Grasshopper Warblers while the main attraction of this spot is the Common Hawker dragonfly, a very scarce species in the south of Nottinghamshire and one that certainly does not live up to its name at Bennerley. Retrace your steps back along the towpath until you reach the end of the reedbed, here you are able to drop down into the long grass between the canal and the railway. Continue south until you reach a tunnel under the railway at SK469442, go through the tunnel and cross the Erewash to enter Nottinghamshire for the first time since the walk began. Walk the path until you reach the T junction then turn right until you reach the Gilt Brook. The path now follows the boundary of Linley Plant through the scrub that lines the brook's banks. This area is a mecca for butterflies with most of the common species present and including the White-letter Hairstreak, the second rarest breeder on the site and a very local butterfly in Notts. The rarest breeder, the Dingy Skipper, lives within the Linley Plant area and access is not allowed unless that is you participate on one of the group's butterfly walks. Continue up the path until the back gate to the Linley Plant is reached. In late autumn through to mid spring it is worth walking the access road to Milnhay Sewage Works. The filtration beds often hold good numbers of pipits and wagtails with a Rock Pipit present in 1995. Returning to the main route, follow the plant boundary fence until the Nottingham Canal is reached. On the far side of the canal are some dragonfly pools constructed by Broxtowe Borough Council. They might seem small and insignificant but do hold both Black-tailed Skimmer and Broad-bodied Chaser dragonflies along with Red-eyed Damsels. The canal itself is devoid of life but, as you reach the small plantation on the right hand side of the towpath and excellent, elevated view of Bennerley Marsh can be enjoyed.
Several areas of the marsh (its usually just a field in summer) hold water after wet spells which in turn attract large numbers of birds. Redshanks are often present while Ruff, Whimbrel, Grey Plover and Curlew have all occurred. Winter wader numbers can be exceptional with up to 3,000 Lapwing, 5,000 Golden Plover, 10+ Jack Snipe and 200+ Snipe using the site. Duck numbers can also be high with 280+ Teal and over 100 Wigeon reported.
Back to the walk and, on reaching the road by the farm, turn to the right. Soon you are back at your car and from here you can take a final look over the marsh. Late afternoon is always a good time to look and, if conditions are right, you can sift through the gull flocks and, who knows, you might even find the first Franklin's Gull for Notts, stranger things have happened.
From an article A Guided Tour Around Nottinghamshire courtesy of Nottingham Naturalist
