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Lomeshaye Marsh
Local Nature Reserve
Wetlands are among the most productive habitats in the world, but have suffered through pressures of agricultural and industrial development. Over 90% of Britain's wetlands have disappeared in the past fifty years. Today Lomeshaye Marsh is one of only two such habitats now remaining along Pendle Water, and its biological importance has been recognized by declaring the site Pendle's first Local Nature Reserve.
The site, a floodplain, has seen radical changes over the past century. The Barrowford Sewage Treatment Works was built in the 1890s to provide much needed sanitation for the town and was sited on the meander loop of the river. With the development of the industrial estate, Pendle Water was canalize in the 1970s to incorporate the former sewage works site into Lomeshaye Industrial Estate, and the remaining buildings and filter beds were cleared in 1986.
The site slowly recovered through natural regeneration, until Lomeshaye Marsh came to the public's attention in 1993. Employees from the industrial estate joined forces with local residents and Pendle Friends of the Earth to rescue the wetland from drainage and industrial development. The Lomeshaye Marsh Preservation Group, as it became known, led a campaign to secure its future, which included a wildlife and habitat survey as well as the development of a proposal for a recreational/educational amenity. In 1995 an agreement was reached with Pendle Council and a partnership formed with the Heritage Trust for the North West, providing long term stability for the project.
Access projects and pro-active habitat management have enhanced the site for people as well as wildlife.
In October 1998 Pendle Council agreed to formally request permission from English Nature to declare Lomeshaye Marsh Pendle's first Local Nature Reserve (LNR). The aim of the designation is to recognize the site's high natural interest in the local context for informal enjoyment of nature by the public. On 31 March 1998 there were 598 LNRs in the England, covering 29,032 hectares. (Facts and Figures)
Location
Lomeshaye Marsh is situated on the Lomeshaye Industrial Estate.
It is less than 1km (1/2 mile) from the main bus route between Burnley and Colne with buses running approximately every 5 minutes daily. Get off at the "Waggon & Horses" pub in Brierfield - near B&Q and Pendle Village Mall.
It's approximately 1.7km (1 mile) from Brierfield and Nelson railway stations. The trains are hourly from Preston and Colne.
Lomeshaye Marsh is only about 600 meters from Junction 12 of the M65 (B&Q roundabout) and free car parking is available at the site.
Contact Details
Web Site: www.htnw.co.uk/lom.htmlEmail: Steven.Beesley@htnw.co.uk
Tel: 01282 661852
Fax: 01282 661896
Snail: C/O Steven Beesley
Reel Co-ordinator
Pendle Heritage Centre
Barrowford
Nelson
Lancashire
BB9 6JQ