Amwell Quarry

Amwell Quarry
Site of Special Scientific Interest
LocationHertfordshire
Grid referenceTL377129
InterestBiological
Area37.0 hectares
Notification1999
Location mapMagic Map

Amwell Quarry or Amwell Nature Reserve is a 37 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Great Amwell in Hertfordshire. The planning authority is East Hertfordshire District Council.[1][2] It is also part of the Lee Valley Ramsar Site and Special Protection Area, and is owned and managed by the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust.[3][4]

The site is a former gravel pit, which has been restored to become a wetland nature reserve with two lakes, Great Hardmead Lake and Hollycross Lake. It is internationally important for wintering wildfowl, and is Britain's most important site for dragonflies. It also has large communities of damselflies and breeding birds. Plants include marsh dock and hairlike pondweed, both nationally rare. Amwell has a quarter of all British species of molluscs.[1][5]

There is access from Amwell Lane and the site is open at all times.[5]

  1. ^ a b "Amwell Quarry citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Map of Amwell Quarry". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Amwell Nature Reserve". Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Lee Valley". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Amwell". Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2014.