Maze Park Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in Middlesbrough, England.
Maze Park Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Middlesbrough covering about 42 acres of grassland and green space. Three landscaped mounds offer views over the River Tees and the surrounding industrial areas, with surfaced pathways for walking and cycling throughout.
The land was once a railway marshalling yard but was transformed into a nature reserve in the late 1980s by the Teesside Development Corporation. This conversion marked a shift from industrial use to environmental protection in the area.
Metal butterfly sculptures are scattered across the grasslands, celebrating the twelve butterfly species that make their home here. These artworks help visitors recognize the living creatures they might spot during their visit.
You can access the reserve free of charge through a parking area on Maze Lane, where the surfaced pathways are easy to walk and cycle. Alternative access is available from the Tees Barrage if you prefer to approach from that direction.
The central viewing mounds were built using materials from a former blast furnace at Thornaby, creating unexpected soil conditions that support rare plants like yellow wort and bird's-foot trefoil. This industrial recycling inadvertently created specialized habitats for plants that thrive in these unique soils.
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