About the reserve

Wildlife highlights

• Bluebells, wood anemone, wood-sorrel and violets brighten the woodland in April and May
• Over 60 species of breeding bird include spotted flycatcher, great spotted woodpecker and tawny owl
• The meadow flowers attract butterflies including ringlet and large skipper. 

Plantlife

In the small meadow, beyond the quarry, you will find a typical area of unimproved grassland.

Throughout the summer the meadow is in flower with common knapweed, great burnet, betony, yellow-rattle and devil's-bit scabious.

Plants such as yellow iris, ragged-robin and marsh-marigold grow around the beck.

The quarry is partially flooded, although the pond, which has developed in it, is shaded by the surrounding woodland and therefore has little floating or emergent vegetation.

Keeping it special

Both woodland and quarry are managed largely by limited intervention.

The meadow is grazed in autumn and winter each year to maintain the diversity of plant species.

Railway history

Quarry Banks is very much a product of the railway age. When the Settle-Carlisle line was built in the 1860s the area of land between it and the Pow Maughan Beck became isolated from the surrounding farmland making it uneconomic to manage.

The quarry on the nature reserve was itself developed to provide sandstone for railway bridges and buildings.

The oak woodland, at the northern end of the nature reserve, is clearly far older than the railway and may even be a remnant of ancient woodland.

Recent history

The site was purchased from British Rail in 1987 in memory of Allan Wilson, a former member of the Trust's Education Committee and adviser to the local education authority.

Getting here

By car:

From the M6 junction 42 take the turning for Wetheral. In Cumwhinton village take the minor road signed for Cotehill and Armathwaite.  There is very limited parking on the righthand verge next to the electricity sub station. The public footpath to the reserve starts between two rows of houses on the opposite side of the road.

By bicycle:

Quarry Bank nature reserve is 5km from National Route 72 (Hadrian's Cycleway)

By public transport:

Buses run from Carlisle to Cumwhinton.