Our Sites
View from the hide at Topham East Ings.
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Topham Ings East and Topham Ings West
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These two low-lying fields border the River Went either side of Topham Ferry Bridge, Sykehouse. The old course of the river channel can clearly be seen in the sinuous flooded meanders across both fields. These wetlands fill with water at time of flood. Improvements by the Trust mean that these wetlands are now more extensive and will hold water later into summer, encouraging breeding and feeding conditions for wildfowl and waders.
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A newly installed hide on the East Ings is easy accessible on a 50m permissive footpath is freely open to the public and leads from the Trans Pennine Trail at (53.65026275422217, -1.0643962630141357) to a new hide overlooking the Ings. The wetlands support large flocks of Mallard, Gadwall and Teal in the winter. Little Egret, Water Rail and Marsh Harrier are regular and even Hen Harrier has been seen. Breeding species include reed warbler and reed bunting. Kingfisher have often been spotted flying along the river under the bridge or over the ponds of the Ings. Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe are also frequently seen.
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The bird hide and access at Topham East Ings
Map of the sites owned (shaded blue) and and managed for conservation (shaded orange) by The Burnet Trust. The Transpennine trail is marked in dark green. On street parking available marked at by red arrow (Sykehouse village) and red circle (Topham Ferr Lane) Grid cells = 1km.
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The hawthorn bushes on the flood banks on the northern side of the meadows provide winter shelter and berries for large flocks of redwing, fieldfare and thrushes. Tree Sparrows breed in the area. Behind the flood bank are linear ponds – flooded borrow-pits. These support a mature multi-stemmed White Willow tree, Water Violet and Yellow Iris and are also home to frogs, toads and newts.
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Access to the the Trans Pennine Trail is from Sykehouse Village and on-street parking is available either in Sykehouse (marked with the red arrow on the map) or at Topham (marked with the red dot on the map). Please note parking at Topham is limited and take care not to block an entrances. The trail alonge Topham Ferry Lane to the bridge over the river went annd then North towards Pollington. A public footpath also leads from the TPT along the northern edge of West Ings, into North Yorkshire.
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The Park
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The Burnet Heritage Trust purchased ‘The Park’ in 1999. The grasslands had been overgrazed and were full of docks and other weeds. The northern field had previously been ploughed but the Trust has reverted this to permanent grassland. The grasslands have since been managed as hay meadow. They are a blaze of colour in June with buttercups, yellow rattle, greater bird’s-foot trefoil, great burnet, devil’s-but scabious and many other wildflowers.
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‘The Park’ is situated in the floodplain of the River Went. The floodbank runs along the southern edge of the site. The Trust created three new ponds, one of which is linked to the River Went and provides refuge for fish during times of flood. The ponds play host to common frogs and smooth newts.
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Visitors can enjoy ‘The Park’ by utilising the public footpaths which lead through the site. Once in Sykehouse, take Chapel Lane from the village centre to its junction with Moor Lane and North Lane, where a public footpath is sign posted northwards along Moor Lane. Here use the stile on your right to access ‘The Park’ and follow the footpath that follows the southern floodbank for some way before forking, northwards through the meadow towards farmland or eastwards, following the floodbank towards Eskholme. When arriving in Eskholme, visitors can choose to retrace their steps or follow the road back to the village.
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Chapel Lane
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Chapel lane field encompasses an old meander of the River Went, now a damp fenny area, visible from the gate on Church Lane. This area supports meadowsweet and meadow vetchling and marsh marigold or ‘kingcups’ have also been seen here. The old river course is dotted with magnificent specimens of white willow – a tree which is a notable feature of the Sykehouse and Fishlake parishes.
The riverbank plays host to water shrew and a veteran ash tree also stands by the gateway. Bats forage beneath the canopy of this and other land side trees on summer evenings.
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Chapel Lane field can be viewed from the gate along the lane or from the public footpath that leads from Chapel Lane to Moor Lane along the flood bank. A map of all of Doncaster’s public rights of way can be viewed on Doncaster Council’s web page www.doncaster.gov.uk/maps/walking-map Check your route before starting your journey.
Our other sites (shaded red)
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‘The Park’, Topham Ings and Chapel Lane field are Burnet Heritage Trust sites which offer access to visitors via the public rights of way network. The Trust also manages other sites that don’t currently offer access to visitors. All consist of similar wetland and grassland habitats as those already mentioned. Topham Mere, New Fleet Ings and other small areas do not currently have public rights of way or feasible public access opportunities. The Burnet Heritage Trust is working to develop access opportunities such as viewing platforms, bird hides and permissive footpaths but until such time as this is possible to implement, the Trust will continue to manage these areas with the same conservation goals as their other sites, offering habitat management and ecological recording updates when available.