The land on the south bank of the River Humber is thick clay and was used in the manufacture of bricks and tiles. In the late C19th there were fifteen brick and tile yards along the shore line on either side of Barton upon Humber. Supplies of clay ran out in the mid C20th and the yards were abandoned. One “yard”:https://www.theoldtileworks.com/ has been restored and is now a coffee shop and also sells handmade garden pots.
The open pits soon filled with water and were gradually colonised by reed beds with willow.
The area is now managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and forms a diverse landscape of open ponds, reedbeds, meadow and scrub. After a absence of twenty years, bitterns have returned and breed here again and can be heard ‘booming’ in the spring. They are very shy and seen rather than heard. The tiny but colourful Kingfisher is also commonly seen.
There are three circular “walks”:https://issuu.com/lincstrust/docs/far_ings_map around the reserve, all clearly waymarked with well made paths. A short walk goes through woodland and reed beds to the east of the Visitor Centre. Longer walks to the west go along the Humber Banks and loop round some of the ponds. There is always plenty to see – birds, butterflies, dragonflies, flowers… But do choose a dry day for the walks as there is no shelter.
There is plenty of free parking and the small visitor centre (with toilets) is open Wednesdays- Fridays from 1-4pm and weekends and bank holidays from 10-4pm. It sells hot and cold drinks as well as prepacked biscuits and ice creams. There is a viewing area overlooking one of the lakes with comfortable chairs as well as information about the reserve. Test you knowledge of recognising bird song here!
“Website”:https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/far-ings-national-nature-reserve
