How to get there

• Click here for Ordnance Survey map. Access to the area is easily located off the A618 Rotherham-Swallownest road. The main car park is current open from 9am-6pm daily, with small lay-bys found at the southern end of the reservoir along Ulley Lane or by the road bridge along Reservoir Road.
• The Park can be found on the Ordnance Survey Landranger Sheet 111.
• Public transport: buses from Rotherham (No’s 21, 25 or 27.) stop opposite the main car park and entrance.

Overview

Ulley Country Park (site map) is situated just 4 miles south of Rotherham town centre, in the east of the SBSG recording area. It was originally built as a reservoir in the 1870s to provide Rotherham with drinking water. By the early 1980s, the reservoir was no longer needed and was sold to Rotherham Borough Council for £1. The defunct reservoir was designated a Country Park in September 1986 for recreational use and for wildlife. A visitor centre and ranger service operate in the park. Footpaths link the park to nearby villages Ulley, Aughton and Whiston. A two mile walk around the Country park is waymarked for easy access. Ulley is also a good base to explore the surrounding countryside.

During the floods of June 2007 the reservoir shot to international fame when part of the dam collapsed. The park is now fully open following repair work to the the dam.

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Facilities

The main car park (with pay and display parking) is open from 9am-6pm daily. The visitor centre is currently closed (due to re-open shortly), but there is an information board and toilets. A ranger service operates in the park. Fishing and sailing occur on the main reservoir, with sailin goccurrin on a Sunday. There is also limited free car parking available at the southern end of the reservoir along Ulley Lane and by the road bridge on Reservoir Road.

Likely species

Most birders tend to concentrate on the northern (Morthen) arm of the reservoir which is designated for conservation. However the whole area can be productive. The park has a variety of habitats including open water, woodland, grassland, arable land and gorse scrub. Around 165 species have been recorded at the site. Early mornings are best before most of the visitors and fishermen arrive. There is also sailing on the reservoir at weekends.

If using the main car park, check the bird table here as it attracts Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, and the occasional Great Spotted Woodpecker. There is another feeding area with screen close to the lookout tower. Over the last few years Tree Sparrow have become scarce and can now be found only around the village.

The reservoir itself is not noted for its wildfowl but has breeding Great Crested Grebe (1-2 pairs attempt to breed each year) along with a resident pair of Mute Swan.The closure of the park due to flood damage did produce an increase in wildfowl numbers due to the park’s closure, including peak counts of 55 Tufted Duck, 11 Wigeon, 10 Goldeneye,19 Gadwall and 7 Cormorant. Irregular visitors include Pochard, Teal, Canada Goose, Goosander and Little Grebe. A pair of Scaup took residence in January 2008 with the female remaining into April. Other recent scarce birds which have appeared on the reservoir have included Common Scoter, Egyptian Goose, Red-crested Pochard and a brief Little Auk in November 2007. Waders tend to be uncommon with the only regular visitor Common Sandpiper (a flock of 15 was recorded in July 2002). Lower water levels due to the repairs have benfitted wader species, producing Green Sandpiper, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, up to 6 Oystercatcher and a Knot. Grey Wagtail breeds annually, while 1-2 Kingfisher are regular from mid-July to March. Pairs of Sand Martin nested in the road bridge in 2007.

The northern (Morthen) arm of the reservoir, which is designated for conservation, is probably best known for a Great Grey Shrike which was present for several days in 1996, and has two main habitats. The large Gorse Bank contains breeding Linnet, Yellowhammer, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat and Willow Tit. In winter the occasional Woodcock is flushed. The woodland here holds a pair of Tawny Owl which can often be heard calling during the day, while Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Sparrowhawk and Coal Tit also breed. During the winter, alders attract Siskin and smaller numbers of Lesser Redpoll, joining roving Tit flocks, while finch and bunting numbers also build up, sometimes including small numbers of Brambling. Good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare are also common during the winter months.

The park is surrounded by farmland which can also prove productive. Along with Kestrel, Common Buzzard have colonised the area in recent years with 9 seen together in March 2010. The arable fields contain Lapwing and Golden Plover as well as Red-legged and Grey Partridge. While any areas of set-aside are worth checking for Stonechat in winter and Whinchat and Ring Ouzel on passage. In late summer there is often a large build up of Swift over Guilthwaite Common. In winter Peregrine can sometimes be found hunting the thousands of Woodpigeon present in the area.

Other points of interest

Over 150 species of flowering plants have been recorded in the park. Over 20 species of butterfly have been recorded including White Letter Hairstreak, Clouded Yellow and Small Heath. The surrounding farmland holds Fox and the occasional Badger, while the dam wall and filter beds holds a small population of Grass Snake which are sometimes encountered basking on concrete areas. Ulley used to hold Water Vole but I haven't seen any ever since the first Mink turned up. In spring Toads migrate from the gorse back to the reservoir and summer can see hundreds of toadlettes heading back.

Click here for recent site records. 

Nearby sites

These include: Treeton Dyke, Catcliffe Flash and Rother Valley Country Park.

Duncan Bye