Fontburn is a
drinking water reservoir situated northwest of the market town of
Morpeth, and immediately to the east of
Harwood Forest
Harwood Forest is a conifer plantation located to the south of Rothbury in North Northumberland, England, and managed by Forestry England.
The forest occupies moorland north of the east-west Morpeth to Elsdon road, west of the B6342, extending ...
in
Northumberland,
England.
History
The reservoir was built at the end of the 19th century to provide
drinking water for parts of southeast Northumberland.
Flora and fauna
The north shore is mainly vegetated with scrub and woodland, including
willow,
blackthorn,
elder
An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority.
Elder or elders may refer to:
Positions Administrative
* Elder (administrative title), a position of authority
Cultural
* North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and tr ...
,
birch,
hawthorn
Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to:
Plants
* '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae
* ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
, and
hazel
The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...
.
Common spotted orchids grow in the base-rich flushed areas. At the extreme south eastern corner of the site there is an area of marshy grassland with abundant
meadow-sweet,
wild angelica,
common knapweed, and
sneezewort
''Achillea ptarmica'' is a European species of herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the genus ''Achillea'' of the daisy family Asteraceae. Common names include the sneezewort, sneezeweed, bastard pellitory, European pellitory, fair-maid-of-Fr ...
and where there is periodic flooding of the shore you can also find species like
common spike rush,
reed canary grass
''Phalaris arundinacea'', or reed canary grass, is a tall, perennial bunchgrass that commonly forms extensive single-species stands along the margins of lakes and streams and in wet open areas, with a wide distribution in Europe, Asia, northern ...
,
lesser spearwort
''Ranunculus flammula'', the lesser spearwort, greater creeping spearwort or banewort, is a species of perennial herbaceous plants in the genus ''Ranunculus'' (buttercup), growing in damp places throughout the Boreal Kingdom. It flowers June/July ...
, and
amphibious bistort.
The presence of four British reptiles;
common lizard
The viviparous lizard, or common lizard, (''Zootoca vivipara'', formerly ''Lacerta vivipara''), is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other species of non-marine reptile, and is named for the fact that it is viviparous, meaning it ...
,
adder
Adder may refer to:
* AA-12 Adder, a Russian air-to-air missile
* Adder (electronics), an electronic circuit designed to do addition
* Adder Technology, a manufacturing company
* Armstrong Siddeley Adder, a late 1940s British turbojet engine
* ''B ...
,
slowworm, and
grass snake, and five of Britain’s native amphibians;
common frog
The common frog or grass frog (''Rana temporaria''), also known as the European common frog, European common brown frog, European grass frog, European Holarctic true frog, European pond frog or European brown frog, is a semi-aquatic amphibian o ...
,
common toad,
smooth newt,
palmate newt
The palmate newt (''Lissotriton helveticus'') is a species of newt found in Western Europe, from Great Britain to the northern Iberian peninsula. It is long and olive or brown with some dark spots. The underside is yellow to orange, and the thr ...
, and
great crested newt mean that this an extremely valuable and important wildlife site. The grass snake records for Fontburn make this one of the most northerly authenticated colonies of this species in Britain.
A
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
,
Fallowlees Flush
__NOTOC__
Fallowlees Flush is the name given to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in mid-Northumberland, England. The steeply sloping site has calcium-rich springs supporting vegetation rare in the county.
Location and natural features ...
, lies immediately to the west of Fontburn, on the slopes of one of its tributary streams.
Fishing
The reservoir is regularly stocked with trout and is a favoured place with fresh water
anglers. As one of the operator's smaller sites, Fontburn Reservoir claims "a reputation as being a friendly, family orientated fishery".
For more information on visiting Fontburn Reservoir go t
NWWaterside Parks
Ancient monuments
Close to the reservoir there are ancient
Bronze Age sites which are easily reached on foot. The area is also popular with hill walkers.
References
External links
Fishing at Fontburn Reservoir
{{authority control
Drinking water reservoirs in England
Reservoirs in Northumberland