About the reserve

Wildlife Highlights

In summer: 

• listen to the yellowhammers singing from the roadside along the eastern side of the reserve.
• Watch dragonflies and damselflies flying over the ponds and pools. There are 15 species recorded from Lowick Common
• Keep an eye out for small pearl bordered fritillary butterflies on the wing.
• Adders can be found basking on bare rocks in the morning sun as they warm up for the day.

What makes Lowick Common so special? 

Lowick Common Nature Reserve is made of a number of special habitats. The eastern half of the reserve is characterised by the ponds and meres that follow its length, and the craggier, rocky nature of the ground.

The western half of the nature reserve is different, with a more rolling, undulating ground crested with several ridges that run down the slopes here.

The ponds are one of the few places in Cumbria to have medicinal leech.  They're also habitat for great crested newts and 15 species of dragonfly and damselfly, including beautiful demoiselle, emperor and black darter. 

The rest of the nature reserve is a mixture of lowland heath, lowland acid grassland and some lowland fen areas. These habitats are home to a range of specialist species including butterflies like Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, and reptiles like slow worms and adders.

The scattering of trees and shrubs across the main area of reserve see bird species like redpoll, spotted flycatcher and yellowhammer during the summer months.

The view from the top of the beacon towards the south of the nature reserve is spectacular. From the top you can look north to the dramatic hills and passes of the Lake District.  To the south you have the whole of Morecambe Bay before you, with the distant Pennines and Forest of Bowland on the horizon. On a clear day you can see over 15 miles north and at least 30 miles to the south.

Recent history

The nature reserve was gifted to Cumbria Wildlife Trust in 2018 by Yvonne Miller.

Getting here

By car:

The reserve borders the A5092 that runs from Greenodd to Grizebeck. From Greenodd, take the A5092 and head through Penny Bridge and Spark Bridge. Continue past the right hand turn for Coniston (the A5084) and after 230m there is a left hand turn onto an un-named road. This road follows the eastern boundary of the reserve. After the turn off for Beck Bottom, park on the verge on the right hand side of the road.

By bicycle:

The reserve is 3.5km (2.2 miles) from National Route 70 Walney to Wear (W2W) and 1.2km (0.75 miles) from Regional Route 37.

By public transport:

Buses run from Coniston to Barrow in Furness and pass through Lowick Bridge.