Semer Water Nature Reserve

Semer Water is a glacial lake, the waters being retained by a terminal moraine near Low Blean. Its maximum depth is about ten metres and it lies about 250 metres above sea level. The reserve lies on both sides of Crooks Beck, the main feeder for the lake, and consists of alluvial silt marshland, together with a stretch of fellside pasture, which contains outcrops of limestone of the Yoredale Series. Most of the reserve is very wet for much of the year; flash floods occur frequently, when the marsh becomes an extension of the lake.

The vegetation ranges from water to dry land communities, and includes plants of both acid and alkaline soils, particularly on the eastern side. Marshland plants include marsh-marigold, marsh valerian, ragged-robin, bogbean, marsh cinquefoil, northern and southern marsh-orchids, although in dry spring weather flowering is delayed until early summer. The fellside has a range of flowers that include wood anemone, pignut, tormentil, five bedstraws, devils’-bit scabious and heather.

The reserve provides a haven for nesting birds including lapwing, curlew, redshank, tufted duck, great crested grebe and Canada geese, together with passerines, such as sand martin, willow warbler, redstart, meadow pipit, reed bunting and wagtails. Wigeon, teal and mallard overwinter on the reserve; and whooper swans are now only occasional visitors. Red deer visit very occasionally, whilst roe deer are frequently seen. The river contains crayfish.

The reserve can be seen from the public footpath from Marsett or from Low Blean Farm. Please keep to the field edges or public footpath when the field at Marsett Beck are being grown for hay. A good cross-section of flora can be found in the vicinity of the path that crosses the east of the reserve, by the lake, which also provides good views of waterfowl and waders.

The Trust regulates grazing throughout the year in order to encourage ground-nesting birds and to improve the flora and prevent the area developing into scrubland.

The reserve was acquired by the Trust in 1987 and 1999 with support from WWF-UK and English Nature, the Margaret Sanderson legacy and a donation from the Dale family in memory of Margaret Dale.

Directions

Semer Water is situated two-anda- half miles south-west of Bainbridge, in Wensleydale. It can be approached by leaving the A684 Leyburn-Hawes road at Bainbridge (signposted Semer Water, Stalling Busk or Countersett) or from near Hawes (signposted Burtersett). Park at either Marsett, Stalling Busk or on the lake foreshore near Low Blean Farm, but there is a charge to park at the latter in peak periods. The reserve can be seen from the
public footpath from Marsett or from Low Blean Farm. Please keep to the field edges or public footpath when the field at Marsett Beck are being grown for hay. A good cross-section of flora can be found in the vicinity of the path that crosses the east of the reserve, by the lake, which also provides good views of waterfowl and waders.