Our management of nature reserves is a complex picture of ownership, management agreements and shared responsibilities, working with a huge array of organisations. Not all the reserves we own are managed by us; and not all the reserves we manage are owned by us - for some, different parts of the same reserve have different agreements. Sometimes, we stop managing reserves and are no longer responsible for their upkeep or public access to them.

Usually, this development at a reserve is a good news story: it means that our expertise is no longer needed as the landowners are now able take over, perhaps as we have been training them or imparting vital knowledge. There are other reasons this can happen, too, such as  expiring management agreements or maintenance of a site becoming too risky or costly.

There are several reserves (or part of reserves) we have recently ceased to manage:

Buff Wood

No longer managed by the Trust.

Finedon Cally Banks

This site is now managed by Finedon Town Council who will manage it alongside the other 7/8ths of the site that they already own and manage as a pocket park.

Fordham Woods

The Trust now only manages the northern section Hall Yard wood, which it owns. The southern section is managed by its owners Fordham Parish Council.

Harlestone Heath

Management of this site has reverted back to the landowners due to increasing pressures we were unable to manage.

Kings Wood in Corby

This site will now be managed by North Northants Councils’ in-house woodland ranger team, who we’ve been transitioning management over to during the last year.

Wicksteed Park

Management of Wicksteed Watermeadows and Castle Field was returned to Wicksteed Park last year to be led by their on-site ranger with the help of our local grazier.