Location and Access
The Red River Local Nature Reserve is located off the High Street, next to St Luke’s Church, in Loscoe, Derbyshire. Grid Ref: SK 425475.
It is half a mile from Heanor Town Centre and three miles from Ripley, the administrative centre of the borough of Amber Valley, in which it is situated.
The total area of the site is 1.3 ha and contains a pond with a maximum size of 1,690m², which often dries out totally during the summer months. A footpath runs through the length of the site from the main entrance off the Heanor Road to open countryside and the wider ROW network at the western edge of the site. Another unadopted footpath links to the main footpath through the site, coming over the watercourse from the Heanor Road by the side of St. Luke’s church.
The character and ecological value of Red River Local Nature Reserve (LNR) lies in the variety of habitats present.
Without intervention, natural processes of succession would proceed with a resulting loss in habitat’s, therefore appropriate management is required to maintain a balance of these various habitat types. In general, a site which contains a variety of habitats will support a more diverse assemblage of plants and animals.
Management is also required to ensure that public use of the area does not lead to the damage of sensitive habitats, and to ensure that the activities of one group of users do not conflict with the interests of others.
In particular it will be necessary to control some of the adverse effects resulting from the public use of the site.
Site History
Red River Nature Area was part of the land associated with Loscoe Manor (demolished 1704). Loscoe Manor belonged to the ancient Draycott Estate. Richard and William De Draycott are recorded in Loscoe or Loschowe in 1401. The Draycott family have been important and influential for centuries in Derbyshire and many intriguing tales are associated with them.The name Red River probably originated at the time of 1791 when a copper works was operating to the north utilising the known deposits of iron and coal.
A water mill used to stand close to where St Luke’s Church is now; the pond is thought to be associated with the mill. There were originally three ponds, but the top two have dried out and wooded over. The site is shown on maps of the early 1900’s indicating the pond as ‘cold’ pond with a higher pond known as ‘hot’ pond. ‘Owd’ Loscoe Pit (closed 1933) was adjacent to the Red River site, it used to be on what is now the location of Charles Hill Playing Fields.
The historical interest has been interpreted on the site in the form of an interpretation board and entrance gate which depicts elements of interest on the site. A leaflet has also been published which includes information on both the historical and natural history of the site. The local community have valued this area for many years and the Local History Society regards it as an important site of great historical interest.
Ownership and Management
The site is owned by Heanor & Loscoe Town Council and is managed by the Friends of Red River and Groundwork Derby and Derbyshire. The “Friends Group” hold bi-monthly meetings with representation from the Town Council and Groundwork. The meetings discuss the maintenance, management and development of the site and plan practical task days and environmental events and activities.
Landscape Character
The site is linear, situated in a shallow valley bordered to the south and west with agricultural land to the north by amenity playing fields and to the east is the High Street.
Red River Action Days
