Welbeck, Burbage
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
Total species seen at this site:
The Welbeck site is located to the south west of Burbage and is clearly defined to the south by the well treed corridor of Watling Street. A well maintained bridleway, lined by an avenue of mature Lime trees, runs the full length of the site's eastern boundary. The urban area of Burbage adjoins the site on the eastern edge. The whole site is covered by an area Tree Preservation Order (TPO), reference 75/00003/TPORD.
The 13ha site is greenfield agricultural land and is currently used for grazing. For hundreds of years now this site has primarily only been used for this purpose, which has led to a mature, picturesque and peaceful setting.
There are over 200 trees on site including Horse Chestnut, Common Ash, Sycamore, Atlantic Blue Cedar, Norway Maple, Lombardy Poplar and Oak to name but a few. The hedgerows bordering the site are considered High Value under Hedgerow Regulations.
The bridle path is used daily by Joggers, Horse Riders, Dog Walkers and families. Sketchley House is nestled in the centre of the site, and due to the relevant peace and quite the site has benefited from over the years, the whole scene is one of beauty and peacefulness.
There are substantial bat colonies using and living on site including the rare Leislers Bat, the Pipestrelle, Noctule and Long Brown-eared bat. There is an active Badger sett and a large breeding bird species list.
This site is subject to a planning application for housing. Many of the trees meet Local Wildlife Site criteria and are subject to Tree Preservation Orders. Hedgerows to the north and west also potentially meet LWS standard. An extended phase 1 habitat and protected species survey was carried out between March to July 2013. Local amateur ornithologists using NatureSpot to validate records have confirmed Welbeck meets LWS ‘Significant breeding bird assemblages’ minimum criteria. The site appears to also meet the criteria for an Environment Impact Assessment.
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