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| Where: |
Barnes Cray,
Crayford, TQ 52867 75246. Bounded by Thames Road on the north side,
the Dartford to Slade Green railway line to the east, the North West
Kent Sewer pipe embankment on the southern margin and the River Cray
to the west.
View
Map |
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| How: |
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| Rail stations: |
Just over 2km
(1.3miles) from Crayford station by the scenic route from the town
centre along the Cray from Waterside via Footpath 106, Barnes Cray
Rd, Maiden Lane and By-way 105. |
| Buses: |
Bus
route 428 between Erith and Bluewater stops at the east end of Crayford
Way a few minutes’ walk from Thames Road Wetland. Bus route
99 between Woolwich and Bexleyheath stops at the north end of Thames
Rd from where it's a 10-15 minute walk to the Wetland. |
| Entrances |
View
from Thames Road, By-way 105 or the Sewer Pipe Embankment. Enter the
bowl of the wetland from the south-west corner off By-way 105, where
bollards mark the start of the Sewer Pipe Embankment. Otherwise hop
over the Thames Road fence. |
| Facilities: |
None |
| Site: |
2.4
hectares (6 acres). Originally a low-lying wet field, crossed towards
the eastern end by the canalised River Wansunt, it was excavated
to form a permanent wetland that was flooded in the latter part
of 2007, with particular features designed for Water Vole habitation.
The shallow water areas are dominated by Greater Reedmace, with
some patches of Common Reed and other emergents. The surrounding
ground varies from damp to very dry and stony at the east end, with
a consequent and rather eclectic mix of vegetation. The Thames Road
bank was planted by the contractors with a motley collection of
shrubs that aren’t indigenous to the immediate area, but provide
some cover for birds. The west end of Sewer Pipe Embankment provides
a panoramic view of much of the site, including the modest ‘lake’,
with Elder and other species providing some cover for the observer
as well as being used by good numbers of smaller birds. Still marked,
even on modern maps, as being part of Crayford Marshes, Thames Road
Wetland falls within the M106 River Cray Metropolitan Site of Interest
for Nature Conservation, and is worth a look when visiting the lower
sections of the Cray or going out to Crayford Creek and the marshes
to the north. |
| Contact: |
Site
Manager, Chris Rose
Email: chrisrose@gn.apc.org
Tel: 01322 838757 |
| Leaflets Available: |
None.
Photographs at http://www.flickr.com/photos/45169058@N03/sets/72157627083650628/ |
| Walking: |
In
order to make a circuit of the whole site, the Thames Road pedestrian
footpath or the adjoining bank has to be used in order to ‘cross’
the culverted north end of the River Wansunt. |
| Birds: |
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| Winter: |
Teal,
Black-headed Gulls, Snipe, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Redwing, Starlings. |
| Summer: |
Little
Grebe, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff. |
| Resident: |
Coot,
Moorhen, Mallard, Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird, Robin, Great Tit, Blue
Tit, Long-tailed Tit. |
| Occasional: |
Little
Egret, Grey Heron, Pochard, Reed Bunting, Lapwing, Kingfisher, Great
Spotted Woodpecker, House Sparrow, Swift, possibly Water Rail. |
| Butterflies: |
Include
Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Small Copper,
Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood and occasional Small Tortoiseshell. |
| Dragonflies: |
Hairy
Dragonfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Broad-bodied
Chaser, Common Darter, Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed
Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly. |
| Other Invertebrates: |
Wasp
Spider, Long-winged Conehead, Roesel’s Bush Cricket, Philanthus
triangulum – the Bee Wolf (RDB2), Lygus pratensis – a
plant bug, family Miridae (RDB3), Emblethis denticollis - a ground
bug, family Lygaeidae (Notable b), Evergestis extimalis, a moth (Notable
b), Larinus planus – a Weevil (Notable b). |
| Flowers: |
Marsh
Sow-thistle (Sonchus palustris) re-introduced to London here in 2011,
using seedlings grown from seed of the now extirpated Crayford Marshes
colony which was the last in the capital and grew only 600m away.
Several other species rare or uncommon in London/Bexley grow here
including Brookweed (Samolus valerandi) - at 100+ plants possibly
the best and most accessible of the very few colonies in London, Hop
Sedge (Carex pseudocyperus), Square-stemmed St. John’s-wort
(Hypericum tetrapterum), Slender Thistle (Carduus tenuiflorus), Vervain
(Verbena officinalis) and Dittander (Lepidium latifolium) of which
there are large swathes on the Sewer Pipe Embankment. |
| Additional
Information: |
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| Events: |
The
site is cared for by Thames21 Cray River-keeper Volunteers, with most
management work taking place in the winter months to avoid disturbance
to breeding birds. More help is always welcome. There are also occasional
on-site training events and tours to look at particular species. Contact
as above for details. |
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