Children's Wood and Hankridge Riverside LNR
Grid
Ref: ST 231 253 to ST 259 254.
Postcode:
TA1 2LP
Location:
The River Tone corridor between Firepool Weir (west upstream) and the M5 motorway
adjacent to Hankridge Retail Park, Taunton (east downstream).
Status:
Local Wildlife Site and Local Nature Reserve.
Date
of Designation: 7 May 2003.
Size
of Reserve: 19.77 hectares.
Ownership:
Environment Agency and TDBC.
Community
Group: Taunton Mid-Week Conservation Volunteers.
 Description
Children's Wood has grassy banks and berms of the narrow corridor of the 1960s flood alleviation works along the River Tone. It contain footpaths and a cycle path on the northern bank of the river. There are now large woodland blocks and numerous standard trees, including a small orchard at Obridge. Hankridge Riverside has a lake with associated habitat.
Alder and willow trees are dominant but there are also areas of hawthorn, elder and field maple.
The grassland swards are of diverse composition and are managed at a variety of heights. Shorter areas are dominated by cocks foot and common bent. Reed canary grass and common reed are abundant along the river and the lake.
This reserve is a very important habitat and movement corridor for a host of fauna, with otter and a number of bats including both pipistrelle species and lesser horseshoe being recorded. A large number of bird species occur including kingfisher, dipper, grey wagtail, mute swan, grey heron and reed warbler. A small colony of sand martins occur near Bathpool.
The river holds a healthy and varied fish stock including brown trout, salmon and grayling. The reserve supports a diverse invertebrate population with butterflies (including small and large skipper, marbled white, small heath and small copper), dragonflies and damselflies.
Downloadable documents
 Children's Wood in the Spring and Summer information sheet (531 KB)
Children's Wood in the Autumn and Winter information sheet (561 KB)
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