Oughtonhead Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.
Oughtonhead Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Hitchin that encompasses wet woodlands, grasslands, and river margins following the course of the River Oughton. The site contains diverse habitats that support a range of plant and animal species across its protected land.
The eastern section once contained a corn mill, and the wetland areas were previously used to grow willow, reed, and rush for various purposes. These former uses have shaped the character of the land that exists today.
The Friends of Oughtonhead Common actively participate in maintaining the reserve through organized conservation activities and community engagement programs.
The reserve can be reached through parking at Swinburne Avenue Playing Fields or by bus services near Burford Way. Access to the site is straightforward for most visitors regardless of how they arrive.
English Longhorn cattle graze the meadows to maintain vegetation in a natural way, a practice that helps sustain the land's ecological balance. Their presence keeps the grasslands open and productive without artificial management.
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