Denso Marston Nature Reserve

Sunday was a lovely early Spring day...far too nice to stay indoors - and anyway I need to get into training.... Shortly after Easter, I'm planning to walk the Northumberland Coastal path - five days hiking, of 10 to 13 miles a day. I think I can manage that, but I decided it would be wise to limber up a bit in preparation! With that in mind, I took a walk of, I suppose, about 6 miles, wearing my new backpack to make sure I could shoulder that comfortably (it's fine).

My walk took me in a circular route, along the Leeds-Liverpool canal through Shipley and then back to Saltaire through Baildon and along the moor edge. I took a minor detour to visit this small Nature Reserve on the way. Created in 1991 by Denso Marston Ltd, the Reserve forms a buffer between their factory and the River Aire. The land is prone to flooding, which makes it unsuitable for development, but rather than leave it unused, the company's Production Engineering Manager had the idea of turning into a Reserve for the benefit of the local community. The company employs a part-time warden and hosts visits by groups and a programme of wildlife discovery activities throughout the year.

It's a lovely peaceful spot, scattered with seats so that you can relax and enjoy it. It has this small area of pond, which has been carved out deliberately but which now looks quite natural. I think the mallard ducks thought I might have some food for them. They swam over to investigate me.