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Heath and Reach P3
Parish Paths Partnership
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Past Events |
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Double Arches Sand Quarry Walk 17th July 2002
A slightly chilly evening walk around the Double Arches sand quarry off Eastern Way was led by Richard Woolnough and Phil Irving of the Greensand Trust - 16 attended. |
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Richard Owen of WBB Minerals (center left) explained the function of the plant (below) and the production of their products for use in both the construction and leasure industries. The Double Arches site is used for the processing of all the locally-extracted sand and is likely to be opertational until at least 2040. Next to be opened up for extraction is the Chamberlains Barn quarry off Heath Road.
Driving past the entrance on Eastern Way, it is hard to imagine the sheltering haven for terns, sandmartins, kestrels, herons, green woodpeckers and bunting. The secluded lakes teem with life and the ground is carpeted with wildflowers, modest in their loveliness, names easily forgotten as we seldom see them. |
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Phil Irving's superior knowledge of plants and flowers was given a good test, pointing out the enormous variety of flowers and grasses that grow on the site, despite the apparently hostile environment. |
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Richard W pointed out the unusually thin layer of sandstone that sometimes occours between some of the sand layers (illustrated left). Stone from this layer has been used for building work in Heath and Reach. |
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This deep hole (left) is likely an unoccupied badger sett.
The odd orchid is still in flower (common spotted, right) - there are at least two varieties on the site. |
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This photo (right) shows some of the management already being carried out on the site. If it was left, the exisiting vegitation would soon become overgrown with trees and shrubs. Once the need for the site is complete, it is to become a large nature reserve, ringed by a narrow gauge railway circuit. A mineral extraction tax, recently introduced, will help pay for the site to be managed.
The path shown below is flanked by a huge area of birdsfoot trefoil, possibly the largest in Bedfordshire, currently in bloom. |
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This panorama (below) shows one of the larger lakes on the site, now stocked with fish. Near the water or in it were amphibious bistort and reed mace.
One P3 member said, "I shall never forget the flight of the tern over the water and the snow-like water crowfoot floating on the lake..." |
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P3 and The Greensand Trust are indebited to WBB Minerals for their kind permission to visit the site. But please remember that the area is still private property and is not (yet) open to the public.
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