Introduction


Brockadale is a Nature Reserve of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and lies between the villages of Wentbridge and the Smeatons just to the east of the A1, 10 miles north of Doncaster.


Its name derives from 'broken dale', aptly describing the craggy outcrops of limestone which dominate parts of the reserve. Many of the steep-sided slopes are covered in semi-natural woodland, or meadows which have been long unploughed.


Brockadale became a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve in 1966, but with several extensions is now about 2km long and covers much of the valley between Wentbridge and the Smeatons. Most of this beautiful reserve is classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).



The reserve has one of only two sites in England where a minute snail called Truncatellina cylindrica can be found.

 

    profile



One of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s 80 nature reserves.


    Where is it?



It can be reached from Little Smeaton, Kirk Smeaton and Wentbridge along public footpaths, but the reserve car park is down an unmarked lane (Leys Lane) off New Road, Little Smeaton, about 1 mile west of the village. See Map




    contact



Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

1 St George’s Place

York YO24 1GN


Tel: 01904 659570

Fax: 01904 613467


Website: www.ywt.org.uk

email: info@ywt.org.uk

 

Brockadale

Site updated:

September 2009

 

Highlights of......

......early spring



The year is turning now for wildlife as the temperatures at last start to rise. Snowdrops, survivors from long-demolished cottage gardens, have been in flower for most of February, but the truly natural wildflowers have been held back by the long cold winter. The first to show is stinking hellebore (much more attractive than its name) with its clusters of green and purple flowers. The rather spindly small shrub, Daphne mezereon, soon follows with purple flowers up its stem - unless the deer eat the stems as they did last year!


Any sunshine makes it feel warm in the valley, and the birds are already responding by singing and establishing territories. Great and blue tits, blackbirds and robins can all be heard in the woods.


The meadow flowers are always much later, but the bird chorus can be heard here too - skylarks make a decent effort on milder days, and mistle thrushes sing their loud songs from isolated trees.