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08
Jun 2024
From worked to wild - five years of Ripon City Wetlands
The phrase ‘hidden gem’ is now such a common feature of the lexicon that it’s nearly lost all meaning – used to describe places or events that are often anything but.
Despite its overuse, it’s one of the most apt ways to describe Ripon City Wetlands, 41 hectares of natural floodplain nestled between the River Ure and Ripon Canal.
Managed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT), the site, which is free for public use, has flourished from the footprint of a former quarry and is now a conservation haven for the plants and animals that call it home.
Having recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of the wetlands opening – and on the back of the recent YWT study that found two-thirds of all British wildlife species are found in Yorkshire - the Stray Ferret went to find out about how this protected green space can benefit the community.
A carefully curated ecosystem
The entrance of Ripon City Wetlands takes you down the same turn as you would when accessing the racecourse car park.
Pulling up alongside empty horseboxes, you might be forgiven for wondering where the nature reserve begins, if not for a small sign indicating that you're in the right place.
At the bottom of the car park, a trail leads down to the first lagoon, a ten-minute walk that winds past the racetrack and through fields.
Laura Hardman, the Living Landscapes Officer for the YWT explains:
I just don’t think people know we’re here. I mean we are tucked away, but we’re also very accessible.
We don’t want people to miss out on how fantastic this place is – and not just for birdwatchers or nature photographers – because it really is for everybody.
Maybe you do come with binoculars and a long-lens camera and sit in the hide for hours because you’re looking for a particular species of bird. Or maybe you come on your lunch break for some fresh air and a jog.
After passing an education hut, the riverside lagoon comes into view – an expanse of tranquil water, surrounded by tall reed beds and long grass.
Considering its relative proximity to the centre of Ripon, the wetlands are quiet, a completely different landscape from the neatly trimmed grass of the neighbouring racecourse.
Perhaps to the untrained eye, it might seem like an unkempt space, left to its own devices, but the reality is that the wetlands are a carefully curated ecosystem, designed to encourage species of plants and animals to flourish.
Laura says:
People assume that when you have a nature reserve you can just leave it be, but actually part of conservation and rewilding efforts involve lots of management.
From encouraging certain birds to use it to nest, to making sure invasive plants don’t kill off other species, there’s a lot that goes into making sure it’s a thriving environment.
On the day of our visit, one of Laura’s colleagues is by the shoreline, digging a trench to create an island in the lagoon, to provide a safe breeding habitat for wader species.
By intially creating the right conditions to encourage certain behaviours, the aim later this will become a self-fulfilling prophecy, with the animals also playing their part in creating the ideal environment.
The island created as a breeding habitat (Image: Jono Leadley)
A transformed space
Despite the diversity of wildlife already utilising the wetlands, it's still a relatively new addition to YWT’s expanding portfolio of nature reserves.
At five years old, the different types of habitats are still being established. After all, it’s been quite the transformation; the present-day setting doesn’t give any indications of its former use as a sand and gravel quarry, in operation from 1964 until 2019.
The YWT has a long-established relationship with Aggregate Industries to restore former quarries, and long before operation had ceased at the Ripon site, a plan was being drawn out for the future of the land.
Laura explains:
It’s amazing, the amount of species we’ve had in already in such a relatively short space of time.
Yesterday we did a couple of guided walks and we were keeping track of how many different bird species we saw, and it was up to nearly 50 species just spotted on an hour’s walk. That’s incredible for a new, man-made space.
Finding ways to rewild previously used land is all part of an important ongoing conversation; research from the YWT published on World Environment Day found that nearly 2,000 species have been lost from Yorkshire in the last 200 years, with a further 3,000 at risk.
According to Laura, forging relationships with local industrial businesses is a key way to protect the loss of natural habitats, especially on the outskirts of cities and urban areas.
We were lucky enough that Aggregate Industries put a lot of time and effort into making something good here, and worked really well with us.
When there were a few issues, they came back and altered things as we saw fit. Going forward for all out reserves, this type of relationship with businesses, landowners and the community is really important.
Wildlife for everybody
The lasting impression from a visit to the wetlands is how peaceful a place it is – a stroll to take in both lagoons can last about an hour, but there are other footpaths that connect to the canal and offer access to the countryside beyond, or into Ripon itself.
Paths are both wheelchair and pushchair accessible, with disabled parking available closer to the site than the main car park.
During our visit, we spot a handful of walkers – and while admittedly it’s not a bad showing for a weekday morning, Laura hopes that over time, the reserve will only increase in popularity - both with wildlife and human visitors.
In the future, the YWT hopes to host more school parties at the wetlands (Image: Laura Hardman)
The next five years will be an important period for the site in achieving this aim, and raising its profile is the first step in this journey.
One of the YWT's mottos is 'working for a county rich in wildlife for everyone' and Ripon City Wetlands is a prime example of how the charity plans to bring this vision to life.
Laura adds:
We’d love to host school parties here, to help educate children about the environment, and let them explore in nature.
And just generally, we’d like people to see it as a place to come for a weekend walk, a place to picnic and to bring the family.
It’s so beautiful here – people do need to come and experience it for themselves.
Ripon City Wetlands is located at Boroughbridge Road, Ripon, HG4 1UG. The car park is open from 9am - 4pm daily.
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