Langford Lowfields

The habitats at Langford Lowfields are constantly developing as the site continues to establish. Large areas of reedbed are complemented by wildflower-rich meadows, areas of dense thorny scrub and a small block of mature woodland. Parts of the site have only just been restored and provide large areas of bare mud surrounded by deep water, in time these will develop into reedbed, but this process will take a number of years. The reserve will expand in size over the next few decades, with more reedbed, scrapes, wet woodland and potentially an area of floodplain wet grassland and a braided backwater channel connected to the River Trent, being added to the existing mosaic.

The underwater habitats too will continue to mature, supporting an ever-increasing and more diverse fish population, with eels being one of the key species that will benefit and thrive at Langford.

The woodland is being managed to increase the number of native oak trees, for the benefit of elm-loving, white-letter hairstreak butterflies and to increase the floral diversity. Areas of scrub are coppiced on an annual basis to ensure a diversity of age structures, benefitting as great a range of insect and birdlife as possible.

The wild-flower rich meadow area is cut annually for hay to help boost the range and number of flower species and in turn the variety of insects it supports.

Langford Lowfields is a partnership project between Tarmac and the RSPB involving restoration of a sand and gravel quarry on the banks of the River Trent. This is habitat creation on a huge scale. The reserve already has 35ha of developing reedbed, as well as wildflower-rich meadows, areas of scrub and a small mature woodland. Work carried out during 2017 and 2018 added a further 35ha of wetland habitat to the site. In time this will succeed to reedbed, but for the next few years will provide excellent habitat for wading birds. With the quarry set to expand over the next few decades, the reserve too will only get bigger.

Land drainage and the threat of coastal inundation along the east coast, has meant not only a huge decline in the amount of reedbed in the UK, but has also highlighted the importance of establishing large, functioning inland reedbeds that provide a home for the wealth of special wildlife found living within this threatened habitat.

Restoration of the quarried areas at Langford involves soil that has been 'stripped' to expose the sand and gravel deposits beneath, being placed back into the quarried areas and then landscaped to create islands separated by deep water channels. It is on these undulating, wiggly-edged islands that the reed will establish. Reed establishment is kick-started by mechanized planting of reed turfs and followed up with hand planting of thousands of reed seedlings, with 10000 planted each year. The landscaping plans are carefully designed to ensure the final habitats meet the specific requirements of the key species we aim to attract.

Working in Partnership with Tarmac.

Langford Lowfields perfectly illustrates the value and success of conservation and business working closely together. Including areas waiting to be restored, the reserve currently covers 175ha and could easily double or triple in size over the next few decades. Langford Lowfields provides an incredible haven for nature and complements conservation projects being delivered across the wider Trent Valley area by farmers, landowners, statutory agencies, Wildlife Trusts and businesses.

Once restoration is complete, the largest reedbed in the East Midlands will sit at the heart of the Langford Lowfields wetland complex, attracting an amazing array of wildlife. Reedbed specialists including marsh harriers and bearded tits have already bred on the site, with numbers expected to increase over the next few years. Bitterns are heard booming annually during the spring. Wading birds including avocets and little-ringed plovers love the newly restored parts of the reserve and the birdlife is complemented by brown hares, otters, roe deer, purple hairstreak butterflies and hairy dragonflies.

During the summer the air hums with damselflies, bees and other insects, whilst the wildflower-rich grassland round the reedbed areas continues to increase in botanical diversity. The scrubby areas play host to large numbers of nesting birds during the breeding season and with the completion of the water control structure linking us to the River Trent during 2017, critically endangered eels can now enter and exit the reserve.

Langford Lowfields nature reserve is kindly supported by funds from Tarmac, Biffa Award, SITA Trust, Trent Vale Landscape Partnership, Barker Langham, Natural England as well as other trusts, RSPB local groups and supporters.