Friends of Allestree Park - Wildlife of Allestree Park

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Wildlife of Allestree Park

The wildlife of the park is influenced by the rocks which lie beneath it.

Most of the park, including the lake, is underlain by thin-bedded shales and sandstones, technically part of the Millstone Grit formation but very different from the thick-bedded sandstone of the true Millstone Grit of the Peak District a little further to the north. They were originally laid down by mighty rivers, about 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous Period. These rocks have been eroded to form a relatively fertile soil in which a wide range of trees and plants grow.

The higher parts of the Park, on the west side, are made of the Sherwood Sandstones, formed 250 million years ago in the a vast desert which occupied much of what is now Europe. The thin sandy and acid soils formed from these sandstones support a limited array of trees, notably birch, with a ground flora dominated by bracken - a particularly vigorous fern.

Within these two major habitat zones is found a huge array of different plants and animal species, a few of which are pictured here.

An Exposure of Sherwood (Bunter) Sandstone in Big Wood These sandstones were originally laid down as sediment in temporary lakes in a vast desert which covered what is now Britain some 250 million years ago. They contain water-worn pebbles (inset) formed at the same time, during flash-floods.
Big Wood in late April Big Wood stands on the poor dry soils which were formed over the Sherwood Sandstones. Much of the wood was planted over the last two hundred years, but It probably contains fragments of 'ancient woodland', indicated by patches of bluebells.
Stag’s-horn Fungus, Big Wood, November This spectacular fungus, which grows on dead wood, is one of the many species found in the wood in autumn.
Ragged Robin, Woodlands Field, June This striking relative of red campion is found in marshy locations.
Yellow Iris or Flag, east end of the Lake, June This, spectacular flower grows in shallow water at the lake margin
Small Copper Butterfly, north of Lake, July This exquisite insect has become more frequent in the Park recent years as more areas of grassland are spared regular mowing.
A party of drake Mallards, Upper Lake, winter The Mallard is the commonest of British ducks, but one of the most beautiful, especially the male, the drake, looking its best in winter and spring. Photos by Bill Grange

Please note: This is only an introduction to the rich wildlife of Allestree Park. We hope to expand the information on this subject considerably as time goes on. Please submit any articles or observations on the Park's wildlife to us for publication on the website.

There is now a nature diary section for some current interesting wildlife sightings in the Park (for which contributions are welcome). Click on the button below to go to it.

Last Updated ( Sunday, 10 January 2010 )

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