Hodgson's Fields Nature Reserve

The reserve was bought by the Trust in 2002 following the death of local farmer Tom Hodgson, who in his later years allowed most of his land to start the slow, natural process of reversion of farmland to scrub habitat and rough grassland.

The hedgerows and scrub of hawthorn, rose, blackthorn and bramble provide food for birds in the form of berries, and also give nesting sites and shelter. A large number of insects also find a home in the scrub and hedgerows providing food for birds such as dunnock and wren. Summer visitors include grasshopper warbler, sedge warbler and whitethroat, while yellow hammer, reed bunting, tree sparrow and linnet are seen all year round. In the winter redwing and fieldfare use the reserve for food and shelter. Barn owls are common in the area and can often be seen hunting for small mammals over the fields.

Butterflies to look for on the reserve include large skipper, meadow brown, ringlet and small heath. In the autumn migrant hawkers hunt along the hedgerows. Mammals seen include harvest mouse, field vole, brown hare, and roe deer. The rough pasture land supports yarrow, wild angelica, meadowsweet, self heal and meadow vetchling, with spikes of southern and northern marsh orchids emerging in the wetter areas of grassland in June and July.

The reserve is managed to develop biodiversity by grazing scrubby pastures with cattle, whilst retaining some scrub in the fields as it is a unique feature in this part of Yorkshire.

Directions

The reserve is six miles south-east of Withernsea. From Hull take the A1033
Withernsea road. In Patrington take the B1445 Easington road. At the eastern end of Skeffling village turn left down Out Newton Road. After almost a mile the road dissects the reserve. Parking is on the roadside to the left.