Grid Ref: SK957713
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.