How to get there:
Access the area via public footpaths from either Barton in Fabis or Clifton village.
Information
The area borders the River Trent, which is of interest in itself not least for the botany along the shoreline, but the floodplain has several flashes which attract geese and waders. Clifton Grove is of botanical importance and the woodlands occasionally hold passage migrants and scarce residents such as Lesser-spotted Woodpecker. Holme Pit has Frogbit; one of only three sites in the county.
Systematic List of Birds by Rob Hoare
The birds of the area were formerly well-covered by the Clifton Grove Birds website but this is no longer supported as its webmaster Rob Hoare has his work cut out managing the news page of the Notts Birdwatchers' site. However Rob has passed over the files from the old site and I'm very happy (with Rob's approval) to host a Systematic List of the amazingly varied species that Rob and others found there during the years 1995-2016. They include Squacco Heron, White-winged Black Tern and Hawfinch!
Many Local Wildlife Sites
The area holds seven Local Wildlife Sites that together total over 42 hectares.
They are:
Brandshill Wood SK 530334 14.4HaBrandshill Grassland SK 534337 12.1Ha
Barton Flash SK 527341 8.8Ha
Brandshill Marsh SK 532339 3.9Ha
Fishing Pools SK 518327 and SK 518323 1.7Ha
Borrow Pits SK 527332 1.1Ha
Pond and Drain SK 528339 0.5Ha
Scarce and Rare Plants
Brandshill Marsh is notable for Brown Sedge (rare in Notts and very rare south of the Trent), Slender Tufted-sedge (rare in Notts), Marsh Horsetail (very rare in Notts south of the Trent), Greater Spearwort (rare in Notts and on the Rare Plant Register).
Barton Flash is of importance for migrant and wintering birds as can be seen from Systematic List.
Barton Borrow Pits is notable for Fringed Water-lily (Rare in Notts and very rare in Notts south of the Trent), Sweet-flag (Scarce in Notts) and Slender Tufted-sedge.
Brandshill Grassland is notable for Crested Hair-grass (rare in Notts), Downy Oat-grass (scarce in Notts), Meadow Oat-grass (rare in Notts) Heath-grass (rare in Notts and very rare south of the Trent), Spring Sedge (rare in Notts) Dropwort (rare in Notts), Adder’s-tongue (rare in Notts and very rare south of the Trent) and also Salad Burnet and Harebell. Also present on the site is Necklace Ground Beetle – a BAP species due to its severe decline in range – faster than any other ground beetle in Britain.
Threatened by Quarrying
A large area of the site is under pressure to quarry the sand and gravel which would destroy the Local Wildlife Sites and although, many decades hence, much of it could be restored to wetland habitat this would not host the scarce and rare species mentioned above and indeed wetland habitats along the Trent valley are now rather frequent.
Click HERE for a link to Streetmap (Opens in a new Window)
Here is a pdf map of the plan above, prepared by Rob Hoare which shows the various sites within the area formerly covered by the Clifton Grove Birds website.