Darlands Lake

Nature Reserve

This is a quiet, secluded spot with a great deal of natural history interest. The lake was originally developed as an ornamental lake for a nearby country house and it was later used as a duck decoy. It is totally encircled by woodland, which hides it from view from the rest of the countryside. The combination of habitats provides good nesting conditions for a range of wildfowl, including mallards and moorhen that nest each year. Kingfishers visit occasionally. The lake supports common frogs, toads and smooth newts; twelve species of dragonfly have been recorded, included black, ruddy and common darters; fish include carp, Rudd and a variety of goldfish.