Denaby Ings as a Nature Reserve (pictures)

August 1967

South Yorkshire Times, August 26, 1967

Denaby Ings as a Nature Reserve.

The Yorkshire Nationalists trust Ltd. has declared Denaby Ings as a nature reserve.

The Ings consists of about 35 acres of water meadow of roughly triangular shape, bounded on the north-east by the old bed of the river Dearne, on the south-west by a disused railway enbankment and on the west by a road leading from Conisbrough to high Melton. There is some open water and a marshy portion dominated by sedge and reed, alders and willows, along with the enbankment there is a good deal of broom and some fair sized sycamore and elm trees. Denaby Ings is all which now remains of a once considerable marshland.

In addition to the reeds and sedges are many marsh loving plants such as purple skullcap and Himalayan balsam, while in the dried portions are burr marigold and hounds tongue. Many species of birds nest in the reeds and pickets and at times of migration large numbers roost in the reed beds and the thickets. The usual mammals, including the Fox, are present and among the reptiles grass snakes are sometimes recorded.

The ancient craft willows along the riverbank support some relict insects, now found in no other locality in the north of England. There is, in fact, an exceptionally rich fauna of insects including a fly which is parasitic on one species of water snails.

Denaby Ingshas for long been a haunt of naturalists from Doncaster Museum and it is largely through their influence and that of Mr J. B. Haigh that the present owner (Mr Soar) has decided to put its Administration in the hands of the Yorkshire naturalists trust. A management committee to administer the Ings will probably be appointed.

Purple Skellcap

Himalayan Balsam