Panshanger Quarry

Habitat Creation

Two mineral deposits are present at the site, a valley deposit following the course of the River Mimram, and then plateau deposits which rise up either side of the valley.

Worked plateau deposits that have been restored to agriculture, predominately for rye production, for Jordans Cereal, a brand that has signed up to use ingredients grown to Conservation Grade standards.  Additional features including supplementary woodland and hedgerow planting, and bird cover crops have also been incorporated into these areas.

Working alongside a number of organisations including the Wildlife Trust, worked valley deposits have been restored to a number of wetland features. In the far east of the site, a series of ponds of differing size and depth have been created providing an invertebrate haven, and already recorded to support at least 16 species of Odonata. A number of lakes have been created as part of the extraction process, which have been restored to a variety of end-uses to satisfy a number of differing stakeholder views. This includes a number of fishing lakes, a nature conservation lake which supports reed margins, and an island which is becoming a yearly stop off point for migrating osprey.

To prevent negative effects on the water chemistry during the extraction process, the River Mimram was diverted during the mid 2000s. During the landscaping of the Park by Capability Brown in the 18^th century, the watercourse was modified to create two lakes within the site. As part of the restoration, the then Lafarge Tarmac re-engineered the river adjacent to these lakes, creating a new channel and restoring the characteristics of the river prior to changes undertaken in the 18^thcentury. The River Mimram diversion was opened in 2005, with ‘full flow’ reached in 2013. The works were carried out in full consultation with the Environment Agency and include features such as meanders, riffles, pools, and the use of dead wood to provide shelter and changes in water flow speed.  There is a chalky base to the created channel with gravel spread along the bottom, which also mimics the reaches of the Mimram upstream at Tewinbury Farm.  Vegetation has been left to recolonise naturally, with management on rapidly colonising alder and willow already being undertaken during the winter season. The river channel restoration is now used by the Environment Agency as a best-practice demonstration site.

The watercourse provides habitat for water vole, already recorded in the area, and otter – a species known to inhabit the wider local area. To further increase the suitability of the site for water vole, the latest phase of working is being restored to seasonally wet grassland, incorporating a number of ditches and small ponds, along with appropriate bankside vegetation. In order to ensure the viability of water vole population at the site, mink control has been delivered by the operator’s gamekeeper.

While the veteran trees, and mix of woodland and wetland habitats, provide suitable roosting and foraging habitats for bats, the remnants of the former Panshanger Park house are also providing roosting opportunities. Several species are known to be utilising the foundations of the former orangery, and the former Ice House has been turned into a ‘bat cave’ with additional hanging features. Natterer’s and Brown long eared bats have been recorded hibernating in the bat cave.