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The Wick Local Nature Reserve

Open all year

4.8ha Local Nature Reserve in St Albans, 3 points of interest

Woodland

The woodland is managed to encourage regeration of native tree species through using appropriate woodland management techniques.

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Children’s Play Area

Playground

Play area contains the following equipment:

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Seasonal Pond

Water Habitat

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Park Information

The Wick is used by the community as a place for quiet relaxation, a pleasant walk to the shops, safe route to school, play area and informal ball games.

The Wick comprises 3.3 ha of woodland and 1.5 ha of informal playing field, with areas of meadow. It also has a seasonal pond, historic field boundaries of bank and ditch and old Hornbeams.

The Wick is situated on an area underlain by boulder clay, with areas of sand, gravel and acid soil. The main habitat of the site is ancient semi-natural woodland dominated by oak and hornbeam. Due to the wildlife value of the site, it has been designated a County Wildlife Site.

The Wick woodland was designated a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in 1995. Woodland has been on the site for at least 400 years and supports a wide range of wildlife, including over 30 bird species.

The playing field is managed for amenity with a meadow cut regime around the edges to provide a buffer to the hedges and woodland and habitat for a wide range of invertebrates.

In 1929 the land was transferred into the ownership of St Albans City and District Council by Sir Arthur Copson Peake “to keep the land in its wild state, as nature made it”.

In 1985 there was a woodland Tree Preservation Order (ref: 1130) protecting specific tree species placed on the woodland area of the Wick. This means that work to oak, ash, cherry, sycamore, sweet chestnut, hornbeam, birch, pine, horse chestnut, field maple, holly, white thorn (hawthorn) and rowan requires consent from SADC Trees and Woodlands Department.

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