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Where are the Branston Gravel Pits? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter benji87
- Start date
Apparently they're a bit of a pickle to get to.
And welcome to BirdForum. More useful answers will hopefully be along shortly.
And welcome to BirdForum. More useful answers will hopefully be along shortly.
Pam Dragon
Well-known member
Hi Ben, I think that they would be Branston Water Park. Have a google. We went there a couple of months ago. It is well sign posted off the A38, just south of Burton. Not a large area but you can walk south along the canal to Barton under Needwood where there is a Marina & more lakes for a mooch.
Let us know how you get on.
Let us know how you get on.
Hi All
Yes and no Pam. The gravel pits are near Branston Water Park, but are not part of it, as they are working gravel pits and are on the other side of the canal. BWP is accessed from the A38 and effectively runs along side it.
The gravel pits are a few hundred metres south-westish ... as shown on this map:
birding today.co.uk/staffordshire_36.html
Hope the link works and helps the original poster. Might be best for first-time visitors to park at the Water Park car-park (signposted off the A38 northbound just before the Burton turn-off) and then walk down the canal before heading over it.
Cheers
Andy R.
Yes and no Pam. The gravel pits are near Branston Water Park, but are not part of it, as they are working gravel pits and are on the other side of the canal. BWP is accessed from the A38 and effectively runs along side it.
The gravel pits are a few hundred metres south-westish ... as shown on this map:
birding today.co.uk/staffordshire_36.html
Hope the link works and helps the original poster. Might be best for first-time visitors to park at the Water Park car-park (signposted off the A38 northbound just before the Burton turn-off) and then walk down the canal before heading over it.
Cheers
Andy R.
Pam Dragon
Well-known member
Hi Andy, thanks for that. We walked down the canal past the pits then. We nosed in but it was very flooded at the time & thought maybe next time 8-P I remember it having signs for no fishing, in Polish 
Sorry for miss-leading you Benji.
Sorry for miss-leading you Benji.
Every time I go to BWP I try to find these... Last time I exited the water park at the canal, crossed the bridge where I believe there are two fishing lakes (owned by marstons?).
Then I walked a mile or so south down (the right hand side) of the canal, passing the works on the right hand side (no water visible here other than the canal. I walked all the way to another bridge which takes you back across to the left hand side of the canal, before turning back...
Also having frustrating time with alrewas pits... Again from the maps I can see where they are, but how can I actually get to/ view/ walk around(?) them.
Last question is with regards to whitemoor hay.. I know the lake there gets some good sightings and I have parked up and taken a little walk to the edge closest to the road, but is it privately owned? Ie. am I ok to take a full walk around the lake?
On a little extra note, there is a cracking little lake in fradley south (by the shops, south of the canal) that is a decent spot.. Nothing special but I had a few goosander in the winter, plenty of white throat around at the minute and I'm sure experienced birders would find more species.
Then I walked a mile or so south down (the right hand side) of the canal, passing the works on the right hand side (no water visible here other than the canal. I walked all the way to another bridge which takes you back across to the left hand side of the canal, before turning back...
Also having frustrating time with alrewas pits... Again from the maps I can see where they are, but how can I actually get to/ view/ walk around(?) them.
Last question is with regards to whitemoor hay.. I know the lake there gets some good sightings and I have parked up and taken a little walk to the edge closest to the road, but is it privately owned? Ie. am I ok to take a full walk around the lake?
On a little extra note, there is a cracking little lake in fradley south (by the shops, south of the canal) that is a decent spot.. Nothing special but I had a few goosander in the winter, plenty of white throat around at the minute and I'm sure experienced birders would find more species.
spuggyhawk
Well-known member
Here's a screenshot from google earth, ive tried to give you an idea of how to get to branston gp by placing markers of where to park and where roughly the main pits start.
Park on the corner of the sharp bend on the grassy area (dont block the gate) walk through the five bar gate and follow the fence line thats in front of you... following it to your right.
At the end of the fence turn left on to the footpath from there the path is enclosed so its hard to stray off it.
eventualy you will come across a small pool to your left. after viewing there follow path until you reach a small gate that crosses the road the quarry lorries use (muddy) cross straight over to another gate.. from there you can go left or right both ways take you to water to view.
Going left takes you to the sandy pit probably the best area... to view it you cross another quarry track and you are supposed to view from the top of the small bridge the other side of the track.
Hope that helps a little.
Jon
Park on the corner of the sharp bend on the grassy area (dont block the gate) walk through the five bar gate and follow the fence line thats in front of you... following it to your right.
At the end of the fence turn left on to the footpath from there the path is enclosed so its hard to stray off it.
eventualy you will come across a small pool to your left. after viewing there follow path until you reach a small gate that crosses the road the quarry lorries use (muddy) cross straight over to another gate.. from there you can go left or right both ways take you to water to view.
Going left takes you to the sandy pit probably the best area... to view it you cross another quarry track and you are supposed to view from the top of the small bridge the other side of the track.
Hope that helps a little.
Jon
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spuggyhawk
Well-known member
I thought the screen shot would be bigger than that... you know the area roughly because you know where the water park is. so match my map with google earth on your pc to get a closer look.
Jon
Jon
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