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Black Lake Nature Reserve

Cheshire Wildlife Trust reservesNature reserves in CheshireSites of Special Scientific Interest in Cheshire
Black Lake Delamere
Black Lake Delamere

Black Lake is a nature reserve in Delamere Forest, Cheshire, England. It lies in the southwestern corner of the forest, just south of the Manchester–Chester railway. It is managed by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust (CWT) on behalf of the Forestry Commission, and as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is monitored by Natural England.The site is designated as an SSSI because "it represents a very early stage of a Schwingmoor type basin fen and occurs in association with dystrophic open water." A Schwingmoor or quaking bog occurs when plants such as Sphagnum mosses and cotton grass Eriophorum sp. colonise the surface of a waterbody and form a floating mat of vegetation; at Black Lake the Sphagnum raft covers around half the lake surface. The SSSI (which includes the surrounding catchment area) covers an area of 1.74 hectares (4.3 acres); the CWT reserve is 0.40 hectares (0.99 acres) in area.The site is also noted for its uncommon dragonflies, which formerly included the white-faced darter (Leucorrhinia dubia).

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Black Lake Nature Reserve (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Black Lake Nature Reserve
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N 53.2333 ° E -2.6944 °
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Black Lake

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CW6 0TE , Delamere and Oakmere
England, United Kingdom
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Black Lake Delamere
Black Lake Delamere
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Delamere Forest
Delamere Forest

Delamere Forest is a large wood in the village of Delamere in Cheshire, England. The woodland, which is managed by Forestry England, covers an area of 972 hectares (2,400 acres) making it the largest area of woodland in the county. It contains a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees.Delamere, which means "forest of the lakes", is all that remains of the great Forests of Mara and Mondrem which covered over 60 square miles (160 km2) of this part of Cheshire. Established in the late 11th century, they were the hunting forests of the Norman Earls of Chester. Order was maintained under forest law. However this governance limited the agricultural potential of the area for centuries. It was not until ownership passed to The Crown in 1812 that the ancient ordinances were abolished. In 1924 the woodland came under the control of the Forestry Commission. The area also includes Old Pale hill, the high point of the northern mass of the Mid Cheshire Ridge, and Blakemere Moss, a lake around 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) in length. Black Lake, a rare example of quaking bog or schwingmoor, has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and forms part of an international Ramsar site; Linmer Moss has also been designated an SSSI for its fenland habitat. The white-faced darter, a species of dragonfly rare in the UK, and marsh fern and white sedge, wetland plants that are rare in Cheshire, are found here. Delamere Forest is a popular recreational area that is used by approximately 750,000 visitors each year, including walkers, cyclists, mountain bikers and horse riders. It is also an outdoor concert venue.