Hampton Lakes
by George Walthew
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PBC Where to Watch Birds Hampton Lakes by George Walthew |
| Sightings for past week: | All sightings | Excluding Common | Rare & Scarce |
| Sightings for past month: | All sightings | Excluding Common | Rare & Scarce |
| Sightings for past year: | All sightings | Excluding Common | Rare & Scarce |
Formerly this was a vast wilderness area of ridge and furrow left in the wake of the extraction of the underlying London Clay, with the newer workings at the western end. Part of the eastern half of this area was infilled with fly-ash (pulverised fuel ash) and domestic waste. More recently it has been landscaped in preparation for housing development as the Hampton Township.
At present building work is concentrated in the north-eastern corner near the new Tesco's Superstore. Most of the remainder of this landscaped site is grassland on a poorly drained clay soil. There are three lakes here. The largest is the northern lake (Serpentine Lake) which is connected to two smaller lakes in the south-west and south-east by canals.
The northern lake regularly hosts a large flock of Greylag and Canada Geese as well as a small number of Wigeon in winter. The south-west lake is the most interesting, regularly attracting passage and breeding waders, while the south-east lake, next to the London Road, is the least interesting, but still worth looking at. The site also holds a large roost of Golden Plover which feed on the surrounding agricultural land.
The western half of the site is still the ridge and furrow of the old brick pit, although there is already some work going on to landscape it. It holds breeding ducks, geese and waders in summer and the western edge is very good for passage Wheatears.
Although the whole site is officially private it is possible to visit those parts where there is no construction going on. It is easiest to access Hampton Lakes from 'Nobby Gates' where you can park before the yellow barrier as for Orton Brick Pit. Walk along the road for about 50 yards where a small path leads through the tree belt on your right, to a track on the other side. It is possible to visit all three lakes by following this track, either turning left or right and walking around the circlular route along the trackways. Alternatively you can carry on along the road to Orton Brick works, turning right just at the barrier to see the south-west lake on your right and the ridge and furrow of the Serpentine Pits on your left.
