Hope Carr

Sketch map: Hope Carr

Hope Carr local nature reserve in Leigh is the remnants of the settling beds used by the local water treatment works. On the South and West it's bound by Pennington Brook, there's an industrial estate to the East and the water treatment works form the Northern boundary. It's largely overgrown these days so it's hard to see the original checker board pattern of the beds.

Hope Carr

The main entrance to the reserve is at the end of Hope Carr Lane, off Warrington Road. The 19 and 28 buses between Leigh and Warrington are roughly every half hour, the bus stops on either side are just to the north of the junction with Hope Carr Lane. Coming up from Warrington, the bus stop is the second after the big roundabout for the East Lancs Road; you know you're coming to this stop when you cross Pennington Brook. Coming down from Leigh the bus stop is the second after you turn into Warrington Road. Once you get to the end of Hope Carr Lane there's a sharp right turn and a rough car park dead ahead. The paths leading from this take you round the reserve.

Hope Carr

The path going to the left passes by a fairly big pool that's largely hidden by a bank and large trees. There's a very rough path that gets you to the water's edge. The other pools in the reserve are much smaller and either very overgrown or well behind fencing. Ducks on the pools include shovelers. gadwall and teal, and green sandpipers are fairly regular passage visitors. The scrub covering most of the reserve attract good numbers of warblers, including Cetti's.

Hope Carr

The path going to the right takes you to the edge of the water treatment works. Keep an eye out for sparrowhawks, kestrels or one of the peregrines that nest in Leigh town centre. The big bramble patch along here hosted a Blyth's reed warbler last Winter.

Blyth's reed warbler

Blyth's reed warbler

Blyth's reed warbler

Alternatively, you can come into the reserve from the west, either walking in from Warrington Road (the 10 and 34 are very regular, you want the Mill Bridge stop then walk down Chestnut Avenue) or get the hourly 596 bus from Leigh Bus Station that goes round the houses then goes down Chestnut Avenue, the Wigshaw Close stop is the third one down the road. Just before this bus stop there's a little cut between the houses that leads to a bridge over Pennnington Brook and into the reserve.