Local Nature Reserves
There are six Local Nature Reserves which are owned and managed by Three Rivers District Council.
Rickmansworth Aquadrome
Chorleywood House Estate
Croxley Common Moor
Oxhey Woods
Prestwick Road Medows
Withey Beds
Local Nature Reserves general information leaflet -DOWNLOAD
Regular volunteer days and children's activities, take place at each of the Local Nature Reserves. For more information contact Kay FitzGerald on 01923 776611 or e-mail kay.fitzgerald@threerivers.gov.uk.
The Aquadrome has a wide variety of sports activities that are linked to and use the two main lakes.
On Batchworth Lake a vibrant Waterski Club has a wide membership that operates throughout the year and has an active youth programme.
Also on the lake and adjoining River Colne there are fishing rights. On Bury Lake the activities range from sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and model yachts.
Find out more on the Aquadrome.
This County Wildlife Site supports important grassland and woodland areas and is set within the Chiltern Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The site offers several contrasting walks set within the estate grounds.
The site is 68 hectares and combines formal parkland, open meadows and mature woodland leading down to the banks of the River Chess.
How to get there and more information on Chorleywood House Estate Grounds.
Chorleywood House Estate Management Plan -
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Chorleywood House Estate general information leaflet -
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Croxley Common Moor covers 41.9 hectares and has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest as well as a Local Nature Reserve due to the special plantlife and community value.
The moor has over 250 different types of plants in addition to numerous ant hills made by yellow meadow ants and form a series of mounds across the Local Nature Reserve.
These ants make a tasty meal for green woodpeckers which can often be heard 'yaffling' in the background.
During the winter volunteers remove unwanted vegetation that would otherwise turn the open moor into woodland and from around July each year they are helped by a number of cows which lazily graze the moor.
Croxley Common Moor Leaflet -
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Croxley Common Moor location map -DOWNLOAD
Volunteer Days at Croxley Common Moor
Croxley Common Moor is one of the best sites for wildlife in the country, in particular its wildflowers. To help keep it this way we need your help.
Join the Friends of Croxley Common Moor on the second Sunday of each month at 10am to lend a helping hand. Everyone is welcome and no experience is necessary.
Oxhey Woods Local Nature Reserve is 97.7 hectares of principally, ancient semi-natural woodland in South Oxhey, several areas of which date back towards the last ice age some 10,000 years ago.
The woods contain a range of habitats which make it one of the most important woodlands in the county. Within its bounds can be found spring displays of bluebells, anemones and violets plus the unusual wild service tree.
Oxhey Wood location map -
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Volunteer Days at Oxhey Woods
The Oxhey Woods Conservation Volunteers work with the Council and the Countryside Management Service to help keep Oxhey Woods special.
The Oxhey Woods Conservation Volunteers hold regular volunteer days and everyone is welcome to lend a helping hand.
Prestwick Road Meadows Local Nature Reserve is a remnant of old farm meadows in South Oxhey. The ancient hedgerows that separated the fields can still be seen today.
More than 97% of flower rich hay meadows and pastures have been lost since the 1940s and this is one of the few meadows that has survived untouched.
Summer is the best time to see Prestwick Road Meadow in flower, although the seasonal pond can be a hive of activity with tadpoles, frogs, herons, butterflies and dragonflies.
Prestwick Road Meadows Local Nature Reserve Leaflet -
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Prestwick Road Meadows location map -
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The Withey Beds Local Nature Reserve is 7.7 hectares of one of a few remaining wetlands in Hertfordshire.
This is only the second site in the country to be purchased using a Compulsory Purchase Order based on its wildlife value alone. It is particularly important as it supports a wide range of habitats including wet woodland, marsh, drier grassland and open ditches as well as the River Colne.
Several projects have taken place since 2003 including converting an abandoned WWII pill box into a bat roost, making a living willow hide and installing a barn owl box.
A spider, which has not been reported in Hertfordshire since 1880, has been recorded at The Withey Beds. TRDC has received two prestigious Green Apple Awards for the environmental work that has taken place at The Withey Beds.
The Withey Beds Information leaflet -
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The Withey Beds location map -
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Information
Three Rivers District Council organises children's activities such as Bug Hunts and Build a bird a home, at various times and locations throughout the year. If you like to find out more please contact leisure@threerivers.gov.uk
You can use many of our parks, open spaces and Nature Reserves for charity events, children's parties and filming. For more information contact the Leisure department on 01923 776611 or email leisure@threerivers.gov.uk
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