Northwich Flashes: Ashton's Flash and Neumann's Flash

Sketch map: Ashton's Flash and Neumann's Flash

Ashton's Flash and Neumann's Flash are part of a complex of woods, lakes and flashes just North of Northwich which eventually lead on to Marbury Country Park and Budworth Mere. The flashes are the result of subsidence caused by salt mining and they were used by the salt and soda industries. It only recently occured to me that they are fairly easy to get to and even then it took the presence of the long-staying Siberian stonechat to bounce me into finally making the trip. Consequently I've a far bit of catching up with it as a birdwatching site and I dare say I'll be coming back and adding to this post.

The hourly local stopping train from Manchester to Chester stops at Northwich Station. Leaving the station through the car park, carry on down the main road, Middlewich Road, to the big roundabout, taking the pedestrian crossing along the way. You're essentially wanting to go straight ahead onto Leicester Street, remember how you got there because it looks more confusing on the way back and you can end up walking into the town centre rather than towards the station. Walk down Leicester Street until you see the sign for the recycling centre down Old Warrington Road. Walk down past the recycling centre and you reach the bridge over Wade Brook. The entrance to Ashton's Flash is on your right just after the bridge.

The paths round the flashes form a figure of eight with the path over the narrow bund between the two forming the cross piece. Ashton's Flash is a collection of small pools set in open, largely scrubby, land. On the Western side there are reeds and scattered bushes. The Eastern side, next to New Warrington Road, is lightly wooded. If you walk clockwise you get to a gate through to the bund between the two flashes.

Ashton's Flash

Shovelers, Ashton's Flash

The bund is thickly planted mostly with birch trees. There are a couple of paths leading off to hide screens overlooking Neumann's Flash. You'll have to follow the rough tracks through the trees to the fence to check out this side of Ashton's Flash. The Siberian stonechat spent most of its time in the scrub on the other side of the fence.

The path along the bund between Ashton's and Neumann's Flashes

Neumann's Flash

Neumann's Flash

Neumann's Flash is larger, more open and possibly deeper than the water on Ashton's Flash. In Winter there are good numbers of wigeon and teal as well as tufted ducks, gadwall and shelduck. Continuing the clockwise path round the flash the wooded areas get thicker, with paths leading off into the Nortwich Woodlands on the Western side. There are a couple more screen hides along the way, one on the Eastern side of the flash and one on the Northern side.

It's worth spending a bit of time checking out the trees around these flashes. Last time I visited a chap showed me a photo of a lesser spotted woodpecker he'd seen round there just half an hour earlier. Needless to say I had no luck finding it myself, but I was more than happy with the visit as I'd finally seen this lovely little thing.

Siberian Stonechat, Ashton's Flash