Starmer's Pit 8

Grid Ref: SK951688

Status:     Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Lincolnshire Trust)

Starmers Pit is the part of the Boultham Moor complex lying on the west side of Tritton Road. It consists of a 2.3ha area of open water surrounded to the east by secondary birch/oak/sycamore woodland that has developed on heathland. Some planting of spruce has taken place. It has been designated as Critical Natural Asset for the following reasons:

1) The site holds examples of wetland emergent and marginal aquatic habitat types.   It is one of 13 wetland sites in Lincoln, accounting for 3% of the total wetland area in Lincoln. The woodland supports small patches of heathland flora (area unquantified).    Although these areas are not significant in themselves, they are important when taken as part of the Boultham Moor complex in pointing to an opportunity, with appropriate management, to restore some of the declining city and county heathland resource.  Heathland has declined by 88% in Lincolnshire since 1920, from 6500ha to 628ha (approx.) in 1995. Only 15ha of heathland in Lincolnshire exist outside the SSSI system, and much of it, including Starmer's Pit, is currently under secondary woodland.

2) The site supports large numbers of wildfowl in winter, probably as overspill from other sites such as Boultham Mere, Swanholme Lakes and Whisby Pits. The site also holds large populations of breeding moorhen and mallard, as well as other woodland bird species uncommon in an urban environment including:

Jay    Garrelus glandarius           (6 sites in Lincoln)

Great spotted woodpecker           Dendrocopus major          (6 sites in Lincoln)

3) The site supports the following rare and endangered species:

Tree sparrow    Passer montanus  

See Boultham Moor Wood for description. The species was recorded here in 1995.

Landscape Value    

Mature woodland and lake important as a local amenity and for informal recreation. Also important to the appearance of main road and rail approaches to the City.