Leigh Ornithological Society Website

Hope Carr Nature Reserve (Open map in new window)

Map Ref: SJ 664 986 O.S. Pathfinder 712


Hope Carr Education Centre

This is a North West Water site.

Situated in the Borough of Leigh about one mile from the town centre.

From A580 (east lancs road) at the Greyhound Motel roundabout take the road into Leigh, (Warrington Road) at the first set of lights go left on to Leigh business park and at the mini roundabout go left again on to the site. Open all year, free car park, disabled persons access and hide available by prior arrangement. Pond dipping for school parties etc; education centre with class rooms.

Habitat:
Sludge lagoons, Lake, Willow scrub. Within the Wigan Borough's designated "Wildlife Corridor". The bordering Stream discharges from Pennington Country Park, only one mile away.

Contact:
Joe Grima, Leigh Environmental Education Centre, Hope Carr, Hope Carr Lane, Leigh WN7 3XB. 01942-269027

Special birds:
Occasional Barn Owl hunting, Little Grebe, Ruddy Duck, Gadwall breeding, other ducks and geese, some waders on passage, lots of hirundines.

Comment:
Joe is a very experienced birder who has put a lot of effort into the development of the site. But over time the site has got out of control and unwanted growth has taken over. The following e-mail has been received which sounds hopeful for the improvement of the site, if you would like to be involved get in touch with the society.

To the Leigh Ornithological Society

Having visited your groups website and reading your description of the Hope
Carr Nature Reserve I would be very much interested in the opinions of your
group regarding the site.

Groundwork Wigan and Chorley are currently in partnership with United
Utilities and are now responsible for site maintenance, development and
community involvement at Hope Carr Nature Reserve.

Currently Groudwork provide a supervised team of volunteers to undertake
maintenance to the areas around the Environmental Education Centre and the
public access areas. We also hope in the future to aquire funds to
undertake a number of projects on the site to address the neglect of the
habitat maintenance and provide new amenities on the site such as benches,
a bird hide, information boards etc.

If any of your group have any suggestions for improvements to the site or
would like to become involved in the maintenance of the site as a volunteer
please contact either myself or Diane Glasgow (Environmental & Educational
Supervisor) on the number below.

Regards

Stephen Hodges

Development Officer

Groundwork Wigan & Chorley

Tel: 01942 821444

www.groundwork.org.uk

http://www.unitedfutures.org.uk/projects/leigh.htm