A local nature reserve is an area of land protected due to its local special interest, offering people the opportunity to study and enjoy nature.
Pishiobury Park, with its rich history, is a significant greenspace in the district for nature conservation, informal recreation and cultural heritage. The nature reserve benefits from the presence of the Friends of Pishiobury Park group, who contribute immensely to maintaining and enhancing the park’s appearance, facilities, conservation and safety.
Pishiobury Park boasts great ecological significance, as the park is characterised by a mosaic of diverse and locally important wildlife habitats including neutral grassland, calcareous grassland, damp flood meadows, hedgerows, mature woodland belts, and wet woodland.
Additionally, most of the park is grazed by rare breed cattle which maintain a diverse grassland sward. Several aquatic habitats are also present across the site, including a pond, natural spring, and drainage ditch. The scattered veteran trees, hawthorn roundels, and two tree lined avenues provide living examples of the heritage value of this historic parkland, in addition to exemplifying the original landscape design. The river Stort (Navigation) borders the park to the east connecting the parkland to the low-lying wet areas to the south, outside the park boundary. These wet areas also feature an original serpentine lake.
Cllr Tim Hoskin, Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability, said, “I’m particularly proud to see Pishiobury Park be awarded Local Nature Reserve status, as the park is a true gem in our district and this declaration will further aid our efforts to enhance and maintain the park for our residents, as well as those who travel from further afield to visit it. The diverse habitats and wildlife that make Pishiobury Park as special as it is really do deserve to be studied and enjoyed for many generations to come.”
