Here are a six very special and interesting places in and
around Scarning where you can walk and enjoy the wildlife.

We are in the NWT Mid Norfolk Local Group area
Secretary: Jacquie Fenn 01362 697783
For information about local activities see: http://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/
Take Part in a Wildlife Survey
You can help Norfolk's wildlife by taking part in a wildlife survey.
Why?
The surveys are fun and simple to take part in and offer the chance to
use your local observations to help build up vital information for the
future conservation of Norfolk's wildlife.
Who?
Anyone - you don't have to be an expert!
How?
Click
HERE to read more.
Scarning Water Meadows
Scarning
Water Meadows is one of Scarning's recreational areas. Apart from the
children's play area and the adult exercise equipment mentioned
elswhere on the website, this is a great place to take a stroll or walk
your dog.
What to look for: You can look
out for many wild flowers including:Great Willowherb, water mint, Marsh
Woundwort, Greater birds foot trefoil, Water chick weed and Spear plume
thistle. Look at the flowers here
Directions: Scarning Water Meadows is to the
west of
East Dereham and just inside the Scarning Parish Boundary behind the
Drayton Hall Estate.
Access: From Drayton Hall Lane take the
footpath through the Estate (Ted Ellis Way) towards Dereham but before
reaching Wash Bridge take the footpath to the right shortly after the
last house. There are als other paths from the Estate which lead
directly into the Meadows.
Did you know? Adjacent to the Meadows is
Vicarage Park
which was first laid out in 1678 and covered eight acres but by 1815 it
had expanded several times and covered a hundred acres. Seventy acres
were planted as parkland with walks to the church and to the southwest.
Tree belts were added in 1838 and the watercourse was straightened in
1844. Beech hedges were planted within a moated site in the park by
1889. Part of area is now built over, part a public open space and part
private gardens.
Two Egyptian geese visiting a field near the school. These
feral birds are relatively common in Norfolk.
This Barn owl was just about to take off from its perch when
it was captured on camera.
Hoe Bird Walk
Monthly walks of about 3 miles to record and observe birds and
wildlife led by Janet Hatton of the NWT. Members have been going on
this walk for 23 years and recording the changing wildlife scene. New
members always welcome. The next one is on 16 May 2010 8am-9:15am.
Those who went on the April Walk recorded 51 different birds!
Location: Meet in the lane at Grid Ref: TF 989 173
Cost: Free
If you have any comments or suggestions for this page please
e-mail Richard Allan at mail@scarning.info by clicking the
logo below.
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East Dereham Rush Meadow
Site of Special Scientific Interest
English Nature and Anglian Water are working together on a
five year
project to restore a nationally important meadow adjacent to the East
Dereham Sewage Treatment Works, which is jointly owned by Anglian Water
and East Dereham Relief in Need Charity.
What to look for:Many
special wet meadow plants can be found such as marsh orchid, marsh fern
and bog bean and birds such as snipe and sedge warbler .
Directions: Rush Meadow is just outside East
Dereham
just over the Scarning Parish Boundary.The road leading to the Works is
a few metres from the junction of New Inn Lane and Rushmeadow Road.
Access: Entrance is via a footpath alongside
the stream to the left of the main gates to the Treatment Works.
Did you know? This area was important to the
people of
the parish in the 1830s for ‘cutting fuel for firing and for
depasturing cattle or geese.’
You can find out about the current programme of work and other
information at www.natureonthemap.org.uk/
NWT Scarning Fen
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A unique small nature reserve with wonderful flora. It is very
sensitive to trampling so please tread carefully.
What to look for: Spring/summer bog pimpernel,
butterwort, marsh orchid, marsh helleborine, quaking grass, marsh
pennywort, black bog-rush. Small red damselfly.
Autumn/winter mosses and liverworts.
Facilities: Information board.
Directions: NWT Scarning Fen is just outside
East
Dereham. Travel towards Swaffham on the A47. Pass Draytonhall Lane on
the right and take the immediate left turn. Turn left again onto Fen
Road and follow around to the nature reserve. Parking is on the
roadside.
Public Transport The Swaffham - Dereham bus
stops within a short walk of the nature reserve
Access: Entrance is over a stile next to the
road.
Did you know? Local people grazed horses here
until the 1960s.
NWT Lolly Moor
This tiny nature reserve is remarkable for the diversity of
habitat and variety of flora contained in such a small area.
What to look for: Spring/summer lesser
celandine, primrose, fragrant orchid, southern marsh orchid, marsh
helleborine, twayblade.
Facilities: Information board and way-marked
trail.
Directions: NWT Lolly Moor is 2km south of East
Dereham. Leave East Dereham on the Toftwood to Westfield road and
travel for 2km. The nature reserve is well hidden! Park on the left
just before passing under the electricity pylon.
Access: Entrance is from the roadside via a
path
through scrub and over a stile. Caution - there is very limited parking
available on the roadside verge.
Did you know? The site is leased to NWT from the
Westfield Fuel Allotment Charity. In the past it was split into
allotments allowing trustees to allocate grazing and fuel for the
benefit of the poor of the parish.
NWT Hoe Rough
Site of Special Scientific Interest
350 year old oak tree.
Meander through heathland and meadows to the edge of the River
Whitewater. See the giant anthills, the crab apple trees and the
heather.
What to look for: Spring/summer green-winged
orchid,
yellow rattle, cuckoo flower, bogbean, heather, common milkwort, bird’s
foot trefoil, meadow saxifrage. Broad-bodied chaser dragonfly,
orange-tip butterfly. Adder.
Facilities: Information board and way-marked
trail.
Directions: NWT Hoe Rough lies 4km north of East
Dereham close to Gressenhall farm and workhouse. Take the B1110 East
Dereham to Guist road and turn left after 3km onto the B1146 Fakenham
road. The nature reserve is 1km ahead on the right, before crossing the
river.
Public Transport The Dereham – Fakenham bus
stops near the nature reserve
Access: Entrance is from the small roadside car
park. Caution – vehicles travel at speed and visibility is poor on this
stretch of road.
Did you know? The large anthills on the Rough
indicate that this is an ancient meadow that has been grazed and left
undisturbed by the plough.
NWT Honeypot Wood
Site of Special Scientific Interest
The small size and colourful plant life of NWT Honeypot Wood
make
for a fascinating walk. During WW2 this area was used for storing
munitions for the adjacent Wendling airfield. There are overgrown
concrete paths and abandoned structures.
What to look for: Spring/summer dog’s mercury,
wood anemone, twayblade, herb Paris, bluebell, hairy St John’s wort.
Autumn/winter oak, ash, field maple, hazel.
Facilities: Information board.
Directions: NWT Honeypot Wood is located 6km
west of
East Dereham. Leave the A47 at Wendling and Scarning and take the first
left by the chapel. The road follows round to cross back over the A47
before reaching the wood, 1.5km on the left.
Access: Entrance from the roadside. Take care
parking on the road.
Did you know? NWT Honeypot Wood is a wild wood
remnant
dating back to the retreat of the last ice age. The name derives from
its proximity to a medieval sewage dump, or ‘honey pit’.
Wild plant charity
Wild plant charity Plantlife www.plantlife.org.uk),
are hoping to reach out to many wild plant enthusiasts and nature
lovers by inviting them to become wild plant 'pioneers' and subscribe
to a free quarterly e-learning bulletin to learn more about our native
wild plants via the 'Wild About Plants' project website - www.wildaboutplants.org.uk
. The Wild About Plants project aims to help people reconnect with the
outdoors and their local greenspaces. Working with schools, families
and communities from all walks of life and with fantastic free
downloadable resources, the team hope to engage people with the nature
on their doorstep. In recent years subscribers have been asked to
record the plant life in their local area and recount what they used to
see/pick and forage for. Wild About Plants is funded by Natural England
through Access to Nature, as part of the Big Lottery Fund's Changing
Spaces programme. It is a partnership project involving partner
organisations throughout the country.
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