Allerthorpe Common - Kirsty Brown
Allerthorpe Common Nature Reserve
Location
OS Map Reference
Car park - SE752473Reserve - SE761476
Know before you go
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Open at all timesBest time to visit
March to September
About
Allerthorpe Common is alive with wildlife throughout the year and supports a surprising range of habitats for such a small pocket of lowland heath - wet heath, dry heath, acid grassland, woodland, scrub and open water are all waiting to be discovered.
Ling heather, tormentil, sheep's fescue and wavy hair-grass grow on the drier areas of the site. Cross-leaved heath and purple moor grass grow in the damper areas as well as nationally rare May lily. Patches of gorse scrub provide shelter for birds and their network of roots support a healthy population of adders.
Areas of mature birch and willow woodland add another dimension to the site - great spotted woodpecker may sometimes be seen.
One large pool and several smaller ponds support numerous damselfly and dragonfly species including broad-bodied chaser and blue-tailed damselfly.
On-site grazing using rare breed cattle helps keep tree saplings and some of the coarse competitive grasses that can take over the heath in check. Volunteers also work regularly to control bramble and bracken that can become a problem and remove any birch saplings that the cattle have missed.
Read more about the origins of Allerthorpe Common below under 'history'.
Seasonal highlights
- Spring: Plants - May lily; Reptiles - Adder; Birds - Green woodpecker; Woodlark; Willow warbler
- Summer: Plants - Tormentil; Ling heather; Marsh cinquefoil; Invertebrates - Broad-bodied chaser
- Autumn: Birds - Woodcock; Siskin; Lesser redpoll
- Winter: Birds - Jay; Coal tit; Treecreeper
History
The history of Allerthorpe Common can be traced back to AD 1086 when it was recorded in the Doomsday book as Aluuarstorp. Discover more about its past from the download below.
Directions
Public transport
York - Hull buses stop at Barmby Moor village, 2.3 miles away.
By car
Turn south off the A1079 near Barmby Moor signed Sutton-on-Derwent and Thornton. Take the next left signposted Thornton, and parking is in a Forestry Commission car park 0.5 miles along this road on the right. From here cross the road and follow the forest track until you come to a line of pylons. Turn right and the nature reserve is a short distance along on your right.
Accessibility
Many of our reserves are small and beautiful but remote. Visitors will have different access needs and abilities and we want to provide some basic information about the reserve to help you decide whether this is a place you would like to visit and to help you plan.
Walking around Allerthorpe Common
The reserve is reached via a gravel track about 1km from the Forestry Commission car park. There are two stiles into the reserve
The ground on the reserve is uneven with many tussocks, hollows and ditches hidden by long vegetation and there are no formal footpaths or tracks. The reserve is designated open access land.
Transport
Parking is available in the Forestry Commission's car park on Common Lane.
Facilities
There are no visitor facilities at this reserve. Nearest refreshments and toilets are in Pocklington 4 miles away.
There is generally good mobile phone signal on site.
The What3Codes for the car park is conveying.expose.stumpy
