Summer Leys Panorama Drone Photo
Summer Leys - Nathalie Hueber
Summer Leys
The accessible toilet at the reserve is currently out of service, the urinal and other toilet are available for use over the weekend. The toilets will be undergoing essential maintenance next week, meaning ALL toilet access will be completely closed between the 4th-8th November. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Car parking charges apply to park in the nature reserve car park. Wildlife Trust BCN members should register their vehicle in advance to park free.
Location
near Wollaston
Northamptonshire
NN29 7TD
OS Map Reference
SP 886 634
Know before you go
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Open at all timesParking closed between 11pm and 5am
The visitor centre is open Friday-Sunday: 10am-4:30pm (March-October), plus bank holiday Mondays. The last day the centre will be open is Sunday 2nd November, after which we will be closed for the winter. Please note the toilets will be locked outside of opening hours, members can request the padlock code by emailing summerleys@wildifebcn.org. For more information on the centre and events please visit our visitor centre page linked below.
Best time to visit
AnytimeAbout the reserve
This large, ex-gravel pit is made up of a main lake with gently sloping banks, shallow areas of water and ponds, low lying islands, a large scrape and a fringe of reeds surrounded by grassland and wet woodland. This is ideal habitat for wintering birds: goosander, wigeon and gadwall reach nationally important numbers, joined by large numbers of roosting lapwing and golden plover.
Wading birds use the scrape and the shallow lake margins. Oystercatcher, ringed plover, little ringed plover and redshank stay to breed, while whimbrel, turnstone and common sandpiper often pass through during migration. Numerous pairs of common tern nest in a colony on the islands, so we cut back vegetation each autumn to keep them safe, and every few years we re-profile the wader scrape.
Otters are rare but regular visitors to the reserve, while the taller reeds and rushes around the lake may reveal the ball-shaped woven nests of harvest mice. Sixteen species of dragonflies and damselflies have been recorded here and it is one of the best places to see the uncommon hairy dragonfly, which dances around the edges of Marigold Pond in May and June. Late spring sees hobbies hunting insects over the reserve.
Kim’s Corner, a fragment of species-rich neutral grassland, is a good place to watch butterflies. In late summer, it comes alive with the songs of grasshoppers and crickets. We haycut in summer, followed by sheep grazing. To maintain the open natures of the lake banks, we coppice willow. We also cut back other vegetation and remove encroaching scrub.
Additional information
- Car parking charges have been introduced at Summer Leys, please see the information further down this page. Free parking is only applicable to members of The Wildlife Trust BCN. £4 for 4 hours or £6 for the full day.
- Our visitor centre and toilets are open Friday-Sunday, 10:30am-4;30pm (but CLOSED all week during winter periods, our last day open will be Sunday 2nd November). Members can gain access to the toilet code by emailing summerleys@wildlifebcn.org. More information on the centre and events at Summer Leys please visit here.
- We have regular work parties at Summer Leys. See the Northamptonshire work party page for more information.
- Scroll down to see the reserve boundary. Please note the boundary map is for indication purposes only and does not show the Wildlife Trusts definitive land boundary.
FOR ANY MEDIA ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM: communicationsteam@wildlifebcn.org or 01954 713500 and ask for comms team.
Species
Contact us
Location map
Credit: Nik Shelton
Summer Leys visitor centre
We are excited to announce that we have open a brand new visitor centre at Summer Leys nature reserve
Car Park Charging at Summer Leys Nature Reserve
From November 2021, the Wildlife Trust BCN has introduced a new car park charging system at our Summer Leys Nature Reserve.
Why have car parking charges been introduced?
Our reserves take a lot of time, money and effort to manage and we need the support of all those that visit to help us take care of these wonderful places. The Wildlife Trust BCN has a responsibility to protect and maintain our Nature Reserves and we need to ensure we have the right levels of funding in place in order to do that.
Who will need to pay the parking charges?
Non-Wildlife Trust BCN members: the parking charges will apply to all non-Wildlife Trust BCN member visitors.
Wildlife Trust BCN members: Parking will always be free for our members. In order for Wildlife Trust BCN members to benefit from an exemption from the charges, they will need to register their vehicle.
Please note the following:
- Only current WTBCN Individual, Joint or Family memberships qualify to register for free parking. Children’s Watch memberships are excluded.
- Members who cancel their membership with WTBCN will not qualify for free parking and will be required to pay to park at the site.
Active Wildlife Trust BCN volunteers: may be eligible for free parking and should contact their volunteer manager if they wish to register for free parking.
A penalty notice will be issued for those who are not eligible for free parking and who have not paid to park
IMPORTANT information for members
In order to access free parking at Summer Leys Nature Reserve members MUST register their Vehicle Registration Number in advance of visiting.
New members must wait until they receive their welcome pack with their membership number before they can register for free parking and must pay for parking until registration has been confirmed. This can take up to 5 working days.
What are the parking charges and when do they apply?
The parking charges shown below will now apply to all visitors to our Summer Leys Nature Reserve, unless they have registered their vehicle.
- £4.00 for up to four hours
- £6.00 for a full day (until 11pm)
Car parking charges for visitors to Summer Leys nature reserve apply 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A penalty notice will be issued for those who are not eligible for free parking and who have not paid to park
How can I pay for parking?
The pay-and-display machines in the car park will be cashless and payment using a card or phone app will be required.
What are the car park opening hours?
The car park will be open between 5am and 11pm, 7 days a week.
There will be no overnight parking for anyone, including members.
How will it be monitored?
An Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera will be in operation, monitoring which vehicles have paid to park.
Enforcement applies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A penalty notice will be issued for those who are not eligible for free parking and who have not paid to park
How do I register my vehicle?
In order to register, please click the link below and complete the form.
What are the terms and conditions?
Contact us
If you have any queries or need help registering your vehicle, please contact carparkchargingbcn@wildlifebcn.org or call 01954 713500/01604 405285 and we would be pleased to assist.
Summer Leys - Nathalie Hueber
Let's protect our wildlife and wild spaces
Betony at Upwood Meadows June - c. Robert Enderby
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Did you enjoy your visit? From donating to volunteering, there are many different ways you can help us restore and protect local wildlife. We can't do this without you!