Inside Letchworth Garden City - March 2021 - Flipbook - Page 14
Broom Quarry Conservation Area
B
efore lockdown, the scenic lakes and woodlands on
former quarry land near Broom were not so well
known, but in the past few months lots of people
have discovered them whilst out taking their daily exercise.
It is very close to the A1 and the noise of its traffic, yet it
is so quiet, the sounds of birds and insects can be clearly
heard and it feels like it’s miles from anywhere.
Over 400,000 years ago, the Anglian Ice Sheet
deposited meltwater sediment including sand and gravel
on the site which was to become Broom Quarry, near
Biggleswade. In 1997, building materials company
Tarmac started extracting minerals from the area. When
they submitted planning applications to extend the site
they incorporated plans for the future restoration of the
area. The proposal included providing funding for local
community projects, conserving the area’s wooded copse
for local wildlife and, when extraction was completed,
creating an enriching habitat to establish a wildlife haven.
When the reserves were exhausted on the original site,
after over 1.4 million tonnes had been quarried, Tarmac
began the restoration. It redeveloped 172 hectares, 83
of which were UK Priority Habitat - those of principal
importance for the conservation of biodiversity. It was the
intention that the area would also
benefit local residents so it features
both recreational and educational
resources.
The site now boasts high
species diversity and encompasses
deciduous woodland, hedgerows,
wildflower meadows, wetlands,
lakes and agricultural fields with
nearly ten kilometres of footpaths
and bridleways. There are wildlife
viewing areas and information
boards for visitors, featuring its
mineral history and guides to some
of the species found nearby, which
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include brown hare, common knapweed, birdsfoot trefoil,
red clover and peacock butterfly.
Blue Lake, a six acre former gravel pit, is now used for
fishing, it has five islands and is surrounded by trees. At
up to nine feet deep in places, it contains large bream,
tench and carp as well as silver fish such as perch, roach,
rudd and small bream.
The central lakes, along with the expansive eastern
seasonal wetland area, have been named Broom East
Wildlife Conservation Site and, in 2017, it was designated
as a County Wildlife Site. The wetland area has had
nearly 120 bird species recorded, including lapwings, reed
bunting, redshank, grey partridge and little ringed plover.
The central meadows are used for grazing and are not
accessible to visitors, in order to protect livestock and the
wild mammals, plants and invertebrates living there.
In 2019 The Mineral Products Association named
Tarmac the joint-winner of the Cooper-Heyman Cup for
the redevelopment of the site, at its Quarries and Nature
Awards. Judges called it ‘a massive transformation of
formerly uninteresting agricultural land, enabling a
diverse mixture of habitats of great value to both the
community and wildlife, and a great asset to the area’.
The site is a perfect example of
how land use can be changed and
regenerated; it is now enjoyed by
everyone from ramblers, cyclists
and horseriders, to dog walkers, bird
watchers and anglers.
The trees are growing fast,
the lakes, now home to so many
waterfowl, look beautiful alongside
the tranquil surroundings of
flowering meadows and farmland
and a great variety of flora and fauna
have taken up residence - it is a
hidden gem in the East Bedfordshire
countryside.
