Ricknall Carrs

A 61ha wet grassland site reclaimed from intensive agriculture. Lying just north-east of Newton Aycliffe between the A1 and the East Coast Main Line railway, Ricknall Carrs, is one of the historic wetlands that once extended across the catchment of the River Skerne.

Location

This nature reserve is a closed site, access via organised guided visit only. The map below is for our head office at Rainton Meadows.

Know before you go

Size

61 hectares

Parking information

Closed site, no parking

Grazing animals

Yes

Walking trails

None

Access

This is a closed site, given the sensitivity of the bird species present and the access constraints created by the A1 and railway – features that help to reduce disturbance and maintain wildlife interest. However, the Trust will be organising supervised visits to show members the work that is underway and there will be ongoing supervised access for members at appropriate times of year. Keep a look out in the magazine and online for information on site visits.

Dogs

No dogs permitted

When to visit

Opening times

Closed site, access via organised guided visit only

Best time to visit

Closed site, access via organised guided visit only

About the reserve

Durham Wildlife Trust’s Discover Brightwater Landscape Partnership is already restoring habitats across the catchment of the River Skerne. Sections of the canalised river channel have been renaturalised and lost wetlands, once part of Durham’s historic Carrs, are being restored for nature.

In March 2022, the Trust took a further step towards realising its vision for the Great North Fen by purchasing 61 hectares of grassland on the Skerne floodplain just north-east of Newton Aycliffe. The land, lying between the A1 and the East Coast Main Line railway, is at Ricknall Carrs, one of the historic wetlands that once extended across the catchment of the River Skerne.

Durham Wildlife Trust was able to purchase the land thanks to funding from Veolia and Durham County Council.

Currently semi-improved grassland, through the winter these fields become waterlogged and the wet grassland and pools that are created attract large numbers of wading and wetland birds, including flocks of curlew, lapwing and golden plover.

The site requires work to allow it to reach its full potential for wildlife, as opportunities exist to improve not just the over-wintering habitat, but to also ensure this site supports breeding populations of waders.

Work will commence soon on creating pools and scrapes to help hold water on the surface for longer. Channels will also be created, mimicking those that would have once criss-crossed the area before the River Skerne was canalised to help drain the land. Additional seeding and planting will be undertaken to re-introduce many of the wetland plants that would have thrived on the fens and wetlands of the Durham Carrs.

The Trust will be working in partnership with neighbouring farmers to manage this site through conservation grazing, once habitat creation works are completed.

The site is already rich in birdlife through the autumn and winter. Lapwing, curlew, redshank, oystercatcher, golden plover, greylag goose, pink-footed goose, snipe, teal, shell duck, wigeon are regular present. With the River Skerne attracting great white egret, heron, and goosander.