Ilkeston - Pioneer Meadows, Kirk Hallam
w/e 13 March 2005
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
A sign on Wirksworth Road on the Kirk Hallam estate to the south
west of Ilkeston points to a little known area of grassland,
woods and a pond known collectively as Pioneer Meadows. Purchased
by the Erewash Borough Council from British Steel in the early
1950s, it has been developed as a local nature reserve.
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Although this is perhaps not the best time of year to be looking
for wildlife, Pioneer Meadows is classed as a Grade 1 site on
the County Biological Sites Register and the grassland is rich
in different species. Plants such as Common Toadflax, Devil's-bit
Scabious and Lady's Smock can all be found as well as Cow Parsley
and Hogweed, all of which encourage a large variety of insect
life.
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At the southern end of the site this footbridge over Sow Brook
leads to a network of paths across the fields to Dale Moor and
the villages of Stanton By Dale and Dale Abbey. A tramway used
to run adjacent to the site transporting raw materials from nearby
excavations.
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Those excavations were responsible for what is now the pond in
the middle of the site as it was originally dug as an ironstone
pit by Stanton Industries. Since its transformation into a pond
it has been a popular with anglers although it was described
in 1979 as a "filthy fishing spot" neglected and uncared
for. The establishment of the site as a nature reserve has improved
the area considerably since then.
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The fishing rights for many years were held by the Pioneer Club
but when the club left, the name Pioneer Pond stuck and later,
in 1988 the fields around the pond were officially called Pioneer
Meadows. Now, as well as numerous fishing stations around the
pond, some strategically placed seats allow for other visitors
to sit and reflect on the images in the still waters.
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It was tempting to sit a while by the pond but the threatening
sky to the west cut short any thoughts of a prolonged stay. Whilst
walking through the site we saw robins, blackbirds and wood pigeons
and heard many other birds in the trees. Although we did not
see any whilst there, it is reported that Greenfinches, Blue
Tits and even Kestrels in search of mice and voles, can regularly
be seen.
An information board near the entrance to Pioneer Meadows includes
a map of the site and I have marked on the image below the approximate
positions that the six images above were taken.
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