Walks & Wildlife
Many of the walking routes at Mannington pass through areas rich in wildlife, including The Cut, Duffers Meadow and Fen Meadow.
These places form part of an ancient landscape where woodland, meadow, wetland and historic parkland have supported wildlife for centuries. Walking the estate allows visitors to experience these habitats up close, from quiet woodland paths and open parkland to the boardwalk across Fen Meadow.
The ecological importance of these habitats is recognised in the County Wildlife Site (CWS) designations given to The Cut, Fen Meadow and Park Hill Wood. County Wildlife Sites are areas considered to have significant wildlife importance within the county.
Home (Fen) Meadow
The boardwalk across Home Meadow, also known as Fen Meadow, allows visitors to experience one of the most species-rich habitats on the estate.
In June and July, many of the wildflowers reach their peak, including southern marsh orchid, greater bird’s-foot trefoil, valerian, meadowsweet and devil’s-bit scabious.
The meadow is also a haven for butterflies, with species recorded including ringlet, common blue, meadow brown, small skipper and brimstone.
The small pond beside the boardwalk is a good place to see dragonflies and damselflies during the summer. Species recorded here include small red-eyed damselfly, azure damselfly, large red damselfly, broad-bodied chaser and the rare Norfolk hawker.
To maintain the diversity of plants here, the meadow is managed using the labour-intensive traditional method of cutting by hand, with the cut material removed to prevent a build-up of nutrients that would otherwise allow taller grasses and shrubs to dominate.
The reed bed provides breeding habitat for sedge warblers and other warblers, and is also used by the increasingly rare harvest mouse.
The Cut
The woodland paths through The Cut feel almost primeval, following a rewilded stream through wet carr woodland.
Part of the woodland here is managed using the ancient practice of coppicing — cutting trees and shrubs back to a stool on a rotation to provide greenwood products such as hazel hurdles and pea sticks. This traditional management creates a mosaic of habitats within the woodland.
Where areas have been recently coppiced, sunlight reaches the woodland floor, allowing spring flowers such as primrose, dog violets and yellow flag iris to flourish.
These lighter areas are also frequented by butterflies including white admiral and speckled wood.
Elsewhere along the woodland walk the trees are managed through minimal intervention, apart from the removal of invasive rhododendron shrubs. Rotting logs and damp hollows provide ideal habitat for the red-listed marsh tit, while in winter flocks of redpoll and siskin can often be seen feeding on alder and birch seeds.
There are always fungi to discover along the woodland paths, from birch polypore and turkey tail, which may be seen throughout the year, to ceps in early autumn and the vivid scarlet elfcup in winter.
Otters use the stream throughout the year, and badgers regularly forage in the woodland, particularly when surrounding land is dry.
Bird Hide & Scrape (Wildlife Pond)
A short walk from the boardwalk leads to the bird hide and wildlife pond, which was excavated in the late 1980s.
Large areas of white water lily cover the pond and create a beautiful display when in flower, although they are periodically cut back to prevent them from taking over.
The pond is an important breeding site for common frogs in early spring and edible frogs in early summer. During May and June, their courtship calls can create an extraordinary cacophony of sound across the water.
Both species of frog are an important food source for otters, which are occasionally seen feeding here. Signs of their presence are often found along the boardwalk in the form of spraint (droppings) containing the remains of fish, frogs and crayfish.
Birds regularly seen on and around the pond include little grebe, heron, water rail and grey wagtail, while kingfishers are often seen here, particularly in autumn and winter.
Park Hill
A short walk from the main routes leads to Park Hill, an area of mature woodland with impressive sweet chestnut trees that are laden with nuts in the autumn.
In spring, the woodland floor becomes an azure sea of bluebells, creating one of the most memorable seasonal sights on the estate.
Duffers Meadow
As the path opens into Duffers Meadow, the landscape changes to historic parkland scattered with veteran oak trees.
Many of these old trees contain hollows and decaying wood, providing important habitat for species including fungi, bats and beetles. These veteran trees are a vital part of the estate’s historic landscape and continue to support a wide variety of wildlife.
Each walk at Mannington offers something different throughout the year, from spring flowers and summer butterflies to autumn fungi and winter birdlife. However often you visit, there is always something new to discover.