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North Cave Wetlands: Gravel is for the birds

Posted on 23 June 20218 May 2022 by Rob Ainsley

Gravel roads, gravel pits, gravel bike. Perhaps you can spot the theme here: birds.

Most weeks I cycle from York to my mum’s, outside Hull. At just the right point for a refreshment stop, about three-quarters of the way, is North Cave Wetlands: a quarry being turned into a 21st-century nature reserve.

It has lakes, well-appointed hides, oodles of exotic birds, and perhaps most important, a snack van offering everything from chilled cans of fizzy drink to locally sourced venison burgers. And all for free. (Well, not the burgers or drinks, obviously.)

Bird watchers come from miles around to spot something special: the burger van

It’s all fairly recent, developed over the last decade or two, and significantly over the last couple of years. Further expansion and improvement is planned.

I remember when this was the pits. Some of it still is, worked by the Breedon Group for the extraction of sand and gravel.

At the western edge of the reserve you have to watch out for lorries: it’s not a good idea to get too sidetracked by the resemblance of sand and spoil heaps to northern Chile or Mars.

East Yorkshire gravel
Wet Wet Wet

I spent a very happy hour mismatching birds I saw through my binoculars with the ones on the information boards. I think I saw an avocet, bringing my total of Interesting Birds spotted this year to 1.

Crosslands Hide: Identifying bird species here is easy. Just ask the people with the best binoculars.

Others are a bit more confident what they’ve seen, and it’s an impressive list for the birder. In the couple of days either side of my visit, on one website people logged drake common scoters, green sandpipers, corn bunting, drake wigeon, marsh harrier, ringed plover, yellow wagtail, snipe and many more – even an otter.

Chalk it up: Tracks through the quarry

I headed west along the reserve’s chalky track to the grand hexagonal hide at the end, then struck south along the bridleway – when I could see between dustclouds churned up by passing lorries – and down to yet more old gravel pits turned into lakes.

Quarry sand heaps: Looks a good film set for Dr Who

There’s a diving school (yup, ‘diving’, not ‘driving’) down here, where the bridleway cuts east and conducted me back to my customary York-to-mum route. A mighty lunch and glass of crisp white wine was now only a short hop away.

Why learn to dive in nice warm tropical seas full of multicoloured fishes when you can learn in a former quarry right here in East Yorkshire? Actually today it looked rather nice.

I just love stopping here. North Cave Wetlands is a gravel bike ride delight, whether or not you’re actually on a gravel bike.

Seeing red: Poppy field just east of the diving school

Music for guitar: North Cave

Listen to my piece for classical guitar, written in 2021. It was inspired by the memories of this day’s ride. (MP3, 6min 13sec). You can hear it playing along with the score at my YouTube North Cave page.

→ List of all guitar pieces inspired by my rides

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