Grounds & Wildlife

Cherry Lakes and the grounds covers some 13 acres of beautiful Gloucestershire countryside. The lakes themselves are tree-lined principally with Willow and Alder with much of the rest of the grounds covered by grass and a wide variety of trees including Ash, and recently planted Sweet Chestnut, Copper Beech, Crab Apple, Cherry and Rowan trees.

Along the northern boundary runs the River Churn, a clear fast running tributary of the River Thames. This river is responsible for ensuring the water table remains high throughout most summers. It's steep banks, fast water and deep pools are great for wildlife. In particular for Kingfishers which nest along the southern bank bordering Cherry Springs.

Cherry Lakes is a great place to spot birds. A pair of Buzzards nest nearby and often put on great aerial displays as does the Kingfisher as it dives and splashes around . The flocks of Long Tailed Tits which appear to squabble as the fly from tree to tree around the lake are a joy to be seen, as are the Green Woodpeckers feeding on ants in the grass.

There are a large number of water orientated birds to see from the resident Great Crested Grebes, Mallards and Coots, to the attractive Red Crested Pochard Ducks.

Whether it is the little Wren, or even smaller Gold Crest, to the Bull and Gold Finches, there are plenty of birds to see. In fact over 70 different species of birds have been identified at Cherry Lakes. See how many you can spot!