Boultham Mere 25
Grid Ref: SK957713 
graphic

Status:     Non-Statutory Nature Reserve (Lincolnshire Trust)   
Boultham Mere was excavated in 1846 to provide ballast and water for the adjoining railway. It was colonised by flora and fauna from the adjacent Pyewipe Marsh (now destroyed) and is now of county ecological importance. Boultham Mere has been designated as Critical Natural Asset for the following reasons:

1) The site includes examples of wetland and fen habitat types.  Boultham Mere, at 19ha, is the second largest of the 13 predominantly wetland sites within the City of Lincoln, accounting for approx. 24% of Lincoln's wetland resource.  Boultham Mere supports the largest area of fenland habitat within the City Lincoln.   Boultham Mere supports one of the largest stands of Phragmites reedbed in the City at approx. 2.3ha or approx. 32% of the total area of reedbed in Lincoln.

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

Greater water-parsnip    Slum latifolium                          
This wetland species has declined from 20 Lincolnshire sites in 1985 to 4 in 1996.
The Boultham Mere population is now the largest in Lincolnshire. This species is nationally scarce.
Red-eyed damselfly      Erythromma najas
A nationally localised species confined to southern and midland counties.    It is known from only 6 Lincolnshire localities with suitable habitat requirements, including Boultham Mere
Variable damselfly   Coenagrion pulchellum
A species on the northern fringe of its range in Britain, it has been lost from many of its fenland sites since 1980. It currently occurs in 6 sites in the county, always in small numbers, except at Boultham Mere, which supports the largest county population. This species is listed as nationally notable in the National Red Data Book for insects.
Bittern Botaurus stellaris
This nationally endangered member of the heron family is a regular winter visitor to Boultham Mere.  The British population of this species is probably less than 100 individuals.

Landscape Value     
Attractive water feature with marginal vegetation which adds to the landscape diversity of the proposed West Lincoln Green Wedge planned across the Skewbridge area. Its northern edge of trees and scrub makes an important visual contribution to the rail approach to the city.