McIlroy Park
McIlroy Park is a local nature reserve in Tilehurst, Berkshire, England.[1] The nature reserve is under the management of the Reading Borough Council.[2] Along with Blundells Copse and Lousehill Copse it is part of West Reading Woodlands.[3]
Geography and site
The site covers 11.98 hectares.[1] McIlroy Park is located on a steep hill and features a large species-rich grassland field and a large block of mixed deciduous woodland.[4] There are two ancient sunken paths that pass through the woodland.[5] There are old chalk pits in the west woodland area from the old clay extraction industry and a possible Saxon mound on its eastern edge.[2]
McIlroy Park abuts, and is contiguous with another local nature reserve called Round Copse.[5]
History
The land for the reservation was donated by William Mcilroy, who owned a department store in Reading, and was mayor of the town.[6]
In 1992 site was designated a local nature reserve.[7]
Fauna
The site has the following fauna:[5][8][9]
Birds
- Red kite
- Common buzzard
- Common kestrel
- Common starling
- Common whitethroat
- Fieldfare
- European green woodpecker
- Dunnock
- House sparrow
- Mistle thrush
- Redwing
- Song thrush
- Willow warbler
- Eurasian sparrowhawk
- Eurasian jay
Invertebrates
- Cinnabar moth
- Bombus ruderarius
- Scotopteryx chenopodiata
- Gatekeeper
- Holly blue
- Meadow brown
- Lycaena phlaeas
- Speckled wood
Flora
The site has the following flora:[2][5][9][10]
Trees
Plants
- Hyacinthoides non-scripta
- Catnip
- Mercurialis perennis
- Holcus mollis
- Melica uniflora
- Milium effusum
- Luzula pilosa
- Moehringia trinervia
- Calluna
- Ruscus aculeatus
Fungi
References
- 1 2 "Magic Map Application". Magic.defra.gov.uk. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- 1 2 3 "Natural England - Special Sites". Lnr.naturalengland.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- ↑ "UK - McIlroy Park (Part of West Reading Woodlands) Nature Reserve in Reading - Walking". Freedom2explore.com. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- ↑ "Reading Borough Council". Reading.gov.uk. 2017-02-13. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- 1 2 3 4 "WPG Management Plan" (PDF). Forestry Commission. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- ↑ "Exploring the Thames Wilderness: A Guide to the Natural Thames - Richard Mayon-White, Wendy Yorke - Google Books". Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- ↑ "Friends of McIlroy Park". Econetreading.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- ↑ 15:06, 24 SEP 2014 (2014-09-24). "Rural Reading: McIlroy Park is one of Reading's hidden gems - Adrian Lawson". Get Reading. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- 1 2 "The Reading Naturalist No. 57" (PDF). Reading and District Natural History Society. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- ↑ "Aspects of Suburban Landscapes" (PDF). Historic England. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
Coordinates: 51°27′50″N 1°01′33″W / 51.4639°N 1.0257°W