Askham Bog in autumn sunlight (c) Dave Powell
Askham Bog Nature Reserve
Location
OS Map Reference
SE574479
Know before you go
Dogs
Please keep all dogs to the boardwalk only.
When to visit
Opening times
Open at all timesBest time to visit
June to SeptemberAskham Bog holds a special place in the history of nature conservation in Yorkshire: the very beginnings of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
About
The edges of the Bog, kept alkaline by water draining from the moraine, harbour the greatest diversity of plants and insects, including marsh orchids, marsh violet and meadow thistle. The colony of gingerbread sedge in Far Wood is the largest in England and some of the royal ferns are huge and probably very old.
The site is home to rare species of water beetle and moth fauna is exceptional, with rare species such as the fen square-spot. Birds are abundant, including woodcock, buzzard, willow and marsh tits, grasshopper and reed warblers. In winter huge twittering flocks of goldfinch, lesser redpoll and siskin feed on birch and alder seeds.
Roe deer and foxes are seen regularly, while overhead many dragonflies including the spectacular emperor can be seen on warm summer days.
Seasonal highlights
- Spring: Invertebrates - Brimstone butterfly; Large red damselfly; Broad-bodied chaser; Amphibians - Common frog Birds - Willow tit; Buzzard
- Summer: Plants - Marsh orchid; Marsh thistle; Water violet; Invertebrates - Migrant hawker; Birds - Spotted flycatcher; Hobby; Sedge warbler
- Autumn: Plants - Royal fern; Gingerbread sedge; Invertebrates- Common darter; Birds - Redwing
- Winter: Plants - Bog myrtle; Woodcock; Birds - Lesser redpoll, Siskin; Mammals - Roe deer
History
Askham Bog was purchased in 1946 by the famous sweet manufacturers Francis Terry and Arnold Rowntree and the Yorkshire Naturalists' (now Wildlife) Trust was formed to receive it as a gift. The site has been managed ever since to restore it to the haven for wildlife it once was.
Dating back to Roman times Askham Bog was used by local communities as a source of peat for fuel, resulting in a mosaic of habitats and a legacy of ditches, probably originally used for peat extraction.
Directions
Public transport
Buses stop adjacent to the nature reserve on the A64 and in the nearby village of Copmanthorpe. A cycle track links to both York and Tadcaster.
By car
Approaching York on the eastbound A64 take the A1036 turn off and then turn sharp left in the car park just after the first set of traffic lights.
Accessibility
Walking around Askham
There is a 750m circuit on a boardwalk around the central part of Askham Bog, with a short there-and-back to the pond, suitable for most wheelchairs and pushchairs. There are passing places and benches situated along the walk. There is an accessible gate from the car park - a path runs to the start of the boardwalk which is slightly downhill.
Outside of the boardwalk the ground is soft, boggy and uneven.
The boardwalk has a chicken wire anti-slip netting, but it can still be slippery in wet weather. There may be leaves, twigs or other debris on the boardwalk after wet or windy weather. Due to the soft, boggy ground underneath, the boardwalk has a slight camber in places and may be uneven.
Transport
There is a car park at the entrance to the reserve. There are no designated disabled parking spaces, but the car park is spacious. The surface of the car park is compacted gravel and can be uneven in places.
Buses run from the city centre to Askham Bar Park and Ride which is a 15 minute walk away, on a designated pedestrian/cycle track.
There are cycle racks available in the car park.
Facilities
There are no facilities at the reserve. However, there are accessible toilets at Askham Bar Park and Ride, a five minute drive or 15 minute walk on a designated pedestrian/cycle track.
There is good phone coverage on the site.
The What3Words code for the car park is Short grabs rally.
