Castor Hanglands National Nature Reserve, Natural reserve in Cambridgeshire, England.
Castor Hanglands National Nature Reserve is an 89-hectare nature reserve in Cambridgeshire with four distinct habitat types spread across the land. Ancient woodland borders limestone grassland, while wetland areas and dense scrub sections with numerous ponds dot the wider site.
The woodland appears in the Domesday Book of 1087, marking its recorded presence for over 900 years on this land. The reserve's western boundary traces an ancient Roman road called King Street, which once connected the Roman settlements of Castor and Bourne.
The reserve carries the name of Castor, the former Roman settlement nearby, which remains woven into the local character of the area. This ancient connection shapes how people understand the landscape today.
The reserve is reached via roadside parking located a short distance north of Ailsworth village, from which a brief walk leads to the entrance gate. Spring and summer months offer the best visiting experience, when plant flowering and bird activity are most active.
Poet John Clare explored this area and recorded the local plant and animal life in his nature poetry during the 1800s. His writings offer a rare window into how this ecosystem appeared two centuries ago, capturing species that still inhabit the reserve today.
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