 |
|
|
| Where: |
Part of Erith
Marshes. North of Eastern Way (A2016) east of Crossness Sewage Treatment
Works on Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood. View
Directions |
Photo courtesy
of Roger Taylor, Dartford Ringing Group |
| How: |
|
| Rail stations: |
Abbey
Wood Rail Station (then a 229 to Crossway and walk along Thames Path)
or Belvedere Rail Station (then a 401 bus to Eastern Way) to join
the reserve from Norman Road entrance. |
| Buses: |
Norman
Road: 180, 401, 601
Thamesview Golf Course (Summerton Way): 229, 177, 401, 472 |
| Entrances |
From
Norman Road/Eastern Way corner across stiles (view access from Eastern
Way, north onto public footpath. From Thamesview Golf Course along
Thames Pathway for a 1.3 km riverside walk to the north of the reserve
(this is the only place where parking and facilities are available). |
| Facilities: |
One
hide for members. No toilets on reserve.
Toilets and
parking available at Thamesview Golf Club, Summerton Way, Thamesmead,
by permission of club. Food is also available. Approx. 1 km walk
to reserve. |
| Site: |
20ha site
containing one of the last remaining areas of grazing marsh in Greater
London, and the largest reedbed in Bexley. Other habitats include
a network of ditches and open water, scrub and rough grassland.
Most of the
site is open to public access, but the most sensitive area for wildlife
is contained within a |
Photo courtesy
of Thames Water |
| |
protected area that is accessible to permit holders only via membership
of the 'Friends of Crossness Nature Reserve Scheme'. This area contains
a wader scrape and shingle island, a concrete bird hide built into
an earth bank, an artificial sand martin wall, a bat cave, a boardwalk
through the reedbeds and a pond with a pond-dipping platform. See
'Friends Scheme' for information on how to join. |
| Contact: |
Karen
Sutton
Crossness Conservation Warden
Thames Water, Nature Reserve Office
Crossness Sewage Treatment Works
Belvedere Road
Abbey Wood
London SE2 9AQ
Telephone: 020 8507 4889.
Email: karen.sutton@thameswater.co.uk |
| Birds: |
|
| Winter: |
Lapwing,
Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Grey Heron, Teal,
Mallard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Dunlin, Snipe, Fieldfare, Gulls and
more. |
| Summer: |
Reed
Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Linnet, Stonechat, Whinchat,
Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit and
more. |
| Occasional:
|
Barn
Owl, Marsh Warbler, Little Egret, Peregrine, Little Ringed Plover,
Bearded Tit, Black Redstart, Red-backed Shrike, Ring Ouzel, Temminck’s
stint and more. |
| |
Photo courtesy
of Thames Water |
| Mammals: |
Water
vole (stronghold), Field Vole, Common Shrew, Pygmy Shrew, Field Mouse,
Fox. |
| Plants: |
Marsh
Dock (Kent Red Data Book Species), Knotted Hedge-Parsley, Borrer's
Saltmarsh Grass (species characteristic of closely grazed grassland). |
| Invertebrates |
A
number of rare aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates are present on
the reserve. One Red Data Book 3 (RDB3) and five Nationally Notable
B (NNB) water beetles were recorded in the ditches, and several RDB3
and NNB terrestrial invertebrates were recorded from the ditch margins.
Within the reedbed, four NNB and four regionally notable (London)
invertebrates are present, as well as a RDB3 moth (the twin-spotted
wainscot) a reedbed specialist with larvae that feed internally on
reed stems. A NNB leaf hopper and chrysomelid beetle were recorded
in a survey of the ungrazed grassland, alongside Roesel's bush-cricket
which is common in the Thames Estuary but extremely rare or absent
from the rest of the UK. |
| Butterflies: |
Peacock,
Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip, Cinnabar Moth. |
| Dragonflies: |
Emperor
Dragonfly, Broad-bodied Chaser, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter, Banded
Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly. |
| Additional
information: |
Crossness
Nature Reserve is owned and managed by Thames Water.
As a result
of the regionally important communities of wetland birds, plants
and invertebrates, the site has been designated as a Site of Metropolitan
Importance for Nature Conservation and has been awarded Local Nature
Reserve status.
The reserve
is a water vole stronghold, and over 130 different species of bird
have been recorded at Crossness Nature Reserve. As detailed above,
a number of rare aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates are present,
as well as some important flora species. The reserve is also a Constant
Effort Site (national bird ringing programme set up by the British
Trust for Ornithology). Mist netting is carried out by the Dartford
Ringing Group to monitor the demography of breeding birds.
In recognition
of the enhancement work and management practices carried out by
Thames Water on the nature reserve, the site has been awarded the
2003 Bexley Business Environmental Challenge Award and was national
runner-up in the 2003 Green Apple Awards.
|
| Events: |
Events
at Crossness Nature Reserve require membership to the Friends Scheme.
A range of events are also available at Crossness Southern Marshes
(view
link) which are available to everybody. As dates may change, please
make contact beforehand to ensure that dates and times are correct.
Forthcoming
Events - Crossness Nature Reserve
|
| Friends Scheme: |
Please contact
Karen Sutton or dowload
a membership pack to join the Friends of Crossness Nature Reserve.
Membership will allow access to the protected area; enable people
to attend special events and become involved in practical conservation
tasks; and members will receive a quarterly newsletter and regular
information on wildlife sightings. |
Photo courtesy
of Thames Water |
| |
Costs
for joining the scheme are as follows:
| SINGLE
MEMBERSHIP |
Annual
£5.00
for one year's membership |
Three
Year
£10.00
for three year's membership |
JOINT
MEMBERSHIP
(two adults living at the same address) |
Annual
£8.00
for one year's membership
for both persons |
Three
year
£15.00
for three year's membership
for both persons |
Friends
of Crossness Nature Reserve Application Pack |
