About - Downlee Wildlife Site

Pat & Peter Soden

Peter Barratt

Lovingly cared for for over 20 years

The wildlife site is on land owned by Pat and Peter Soden of Downlee Lodge and by Peter Barratt of Owlgreave Farm and is situated in the South West Peak District in the valley pastures, a beautiful landscape that differs in character from the surrounding hills and provides for an increase in local biodiversity.

“We are told that, globally, species are becoming extinct at an unprecedented rate, greater even than during the age when dinosaurs disappeared. We, like many other farmers and landowners have worked for the last 20 years, with Natural England, to do our bit to protect the countryside and try to arrest the loss of wildlife species in our area. We hope this website will give some impression of our progress to date”.

Pat and Peter Soden, August 2019

The area can be viewed from a public footpath that runs adjacent to the Buxton to Manchester railway line, from Chapel-en-le-Frith South station towards Combs (see the map). The footpath contributes to a network of pleasant and interesting local walks that are close to centres of population and are enjoyed by people of all ages and physical ability. It provides a beautiful panoramic view of the valley that extends from Chapel-en-le Frith to Combs Reservoir and beyond, with the Wildlife Site in the foreground and striking peaks in the background. This whole area should be protected for the benefit and pleasure of future generations.

Habitat Features

Hay Meadows

There has been a dramatic loss in traditional flower rich hay meadows in England. There was a 97% decline between 1930 and 1980 and a further loss of 50% in the Peak District between the mid-1980s and 1990s. Over the last 20 years we have worked with support from Natural England, to help redress the local loss in a small way. Fields Number 1 and 2 on the map are now hay meadows that contain a reasonable variety of once common wildflowers.

Rush Pastures

Wet fields with rushes is another habitat that has suffered considerable losses in the past. Fields 3 and 4 and 5 are flat wet areas in the valley bottom that provide important habitat for wildlife, including the curlew, lapwing and snipe that gather and feed here and cover for breeding species. Fields 3 and 4 contain significant areas with surface water and rushes.

Scrape

The scrape is a shallow pond that dries to reveal muddy margins with insects on which birds such as young lapwings feed. The scrape in Field 4 has an area of approximately 40m² and is of irregular shape to increase the length of the margin. David Pearce of the Peak District Wader Recovery Project advised on the construction of the scrape.

Pond

The pond in Field 3 has an area of about 350m² with some sections over a metre deep for toads to avoid freezing in winter and very shallow margins for wading birds. The pond was produced with the guidance and support of the Peak District Wader Recovery Project, Natural England, and the charity Froglife. The sward is cut short around 60% of the pond margin to give lapwing chicks access to the shallows and to remove cover for predators. The pond was surveyed in March 2022 by Freshwater Habitats Trust and was classified as Priority Habitat

Wet Grassland

The large Field 5 in the valley bottom is grazed by cattle and sheep and cut for hay or silage The large size of this field taken together with Fields 3 and 4 allows wading birds to see approaching danger. Size matters. No new hedges or trees have been planted in this area to avoid providing perches for predator birds. Curlew, which have been declared as the UKs most pressing conservation priority are seen here in large numbers for a few weeks in spring.

Hedgerows

490m of hedgerows, consisting of 2000 trees and shrubs, have been planted on field boundaries for the benefit of wildlife, to provide wildlife corridors and wind shelter for sheep. The hedges are predominantly hawthorn but include a wide variety of other species to provide a variety flowers and fruit for insects and birds.

Wooded Field Corners

For the benefit of wildlife, over the last 20 years a variety of native trees have been planted in field corners and other places on the site, away from lapwing nesting areas.

Management

The fields that make up the wildlife site are managed under Natural England, Higher Level Stewardship Agreements

Hay meadow management

Stock is excluded from the hayfields (Fields No 1 and 2 and 5) 10 weeks before cutting for hay. Hay is cut, turned and field dried in late summer, after 15th July, to allow wildflower seeds to form and settle. In our area It is not easy to find four, consecutive, sunny, drying days after 15th July and Peter Barratt and helpers frequently work late into the night to beat the threat of rain. The use of fertilisers or nutrients on the hayfields is restricted to occasional light applications of well-rotted farmyard manure. Reduced fertility encourages wildflowers in preference to vigorous grasses.

Wild flower seeding

Selected native wildflower seeds, collected locally, have been added to thirty small (1m x 4m) plots in the hayfields to promote wildflower development and diversity.

Grazing with cattle and sheep

The number of sheep and cattle is controlled at a low density to achieve short sward heights before winter, to prevent overgrazing and to avoid trampling of lapwing nests during the nesting period (March -July). Cattle are preferred for grazing fields 3 and 4 because their grazing pattern produces tussocky sward suitable for breeding wading birds.

Control of undesirable plants

Docks, Ragwort and Thistles are controlled by spot spraying only, using selective weed killer. A tedious process in large fields.

Cutting rushes:

The rushes in the wet fields Nos.3 and 4 are controlled by cutting in August-October after the wading birds have left the area. Although we have equipment designed for the purpose, this is not an easy task because the rushes can be up to shoulder height and the ground is soft.

View Map

Get in touch

If you have seen anything unusual on the wildlife site or interesting species in the surrounding area, that you care to share, please email us.

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