← Back🦉 Nature reserve

SUGAR MILL PONDS

8 ha

📷 Christine Johnstone · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

WildlifeBirdsDogs

Public accessFree entryDogs welcome8 ha

Getting here

53.68137, -0.94984

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
🐕Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails
🅿️Parking nearby — easy to reach by car

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
🐕Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails
🅿️Parking nearby — easy to reach by car

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome

Parking

Best for

7 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals, Reptiles; Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals, Reptiles

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Nature reserve; Birds — Kestrel, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch +48 more · last seen 2025

Free

Dog walks

Strong match

Dogs allowed — nature reserve

Free

Forest walks

Strong match

Nature reserve

Free

Insect spotting

Good match

Insects — Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Western Conifer Seed Bug +10 more · last seen 2022; Insects — Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Western Conifer Seed Bug +10 more · last seen 2022

Free

Seasonal nature

Good match

Plants — Japanese Knotweed, Smaller Lattice-moss, Wood Bristle-moss +7 more · last seen 2025; Plants — Japanese Knotweed, Smaller Lattice-moss, Wood Bristle-moss +7 more · last seen 2025

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

2 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Selby)Walking route

Named routeRegional walking route

Trans-Pennine Trail (Selby to Hull)Walking route

Named routeRegional walking route

🚴

Cycling

5 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Trans Pennine TrailCycling route

Named routeRef TPTNational Cycle Network

Trans Pennine TrailCycling route

Named routeRef 62National Cycle Network

Main RouteCycling route224 m

Named routeRef 62Length 224 mNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route105 m

Named routeRef 62Length 105 mNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route1.9 km

Named routeRef 62Length 1.9 kmNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

About this nature reserve

Sugar Mill Ponds is an 8-hectare Local Nature Reserve in East Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire and the Humber. The site features ponds surrounded by wetland habitats, where visitors can observe dragonflies, ducks, and other waterfowl.

Wildlife to spot

1,269 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

1,269 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds51 species

summerautumn

2025

Kestrel · Woodpigeon · Goldfinch · Pheasant · Blackbird +46

KestrelFalco tinnunculus
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
BlackbirdTurdus merula2024
MagpiePica pica2024
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2024
Great TitParus major2023
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2024
Little OwlAthene noctua2024
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2024
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2024
RobinErithacus rubecula2023
Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
FieldfareTurdus pilaris
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2024
CootFulica atra2024
Common GullLarus canus2023
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2023
Mute SwanCygnus olor2022
WhitethroatCurruca communis
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
SwallowHirundo rustica
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2024
GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2024
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus2024
RedwingTurdus iliacus2023
MoorhenGallinula chloropus2023
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2023
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus2022
SwiftApus apus
House MartinDelichon urbicum
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2024
LinnetLinaria cannabina2024
Grey PartridgePerdix perdix2024
House SparrowPasser domesticus2024
SkylarkAlauda arvensis2024
GoosanderMergus merganser2024
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2023
KingfisherAlcedo atthis2023
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus2023
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2023
LapwingVanellus vanellus2022
JayGarrulus glandarius2021
Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa2018

🦌

Mammals4 species

winterspringsummerautumn

2025

Hedgehog · Roe Deer · Indet. Deer · Otter

HedgehogErinaceus europaeus2020
Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
Indet. DeerCervidae2022
OtterLutra lutra2022

🦎

Reptiles1 species

autumn

2021

Grass Snake

Grass SnakeNatrix helvetica

🐝

Insects13 species

summer

2022

Red Admiral · Speckled Wood · Western Conifer Seed Bug · Green-veined White · Peacock +8

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta2017
Speckled WoodPararge aegeria2017
Western Conifer Seed BugLeptoglossus occidentalis2018
Green-veined WhitePieris napi2017
PeacockAglais io2017
Hairy DragonflyBrachytron pratense

🌿

Plants10 species

autumn

2025

Japanese Knotweed · Smaller Lattice-moss · Wood Bristle-moss · Kneiff's Feather-moss · White-tipped Bristle-moss +5

Japanese KnotweedReynoutria japonica2023
Smaller Lattice-mossCinclidotus fontinaloides2023
Wood Bristle-mossLewinskya affinis2023
Kneiff's Feather-mossLeptodictyum riparium2023
White-tipped Bristle-mossOrthotrichum diaphanum2023

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

1,269 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds51 species

summerautumn

2025

Kestrel · Woodpigeon · Goldfinch · Pheasant · Blackbird +46

KestrelFalco tinnunculus
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
BlackbirdTurdus merula2024
MagpiePica pica2024
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2024
Great TitParus major2023
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2024
Little OwlAthene noctua2024
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2024
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2024
RobinErithacus rubecula2023
Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
FieldfareTurdus pilaris
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2024
CootFulica atra2024
Common GullLarus canus2023
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2023
Mute SwanCygnus olor2022
WhitethroatCurruca communis
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
SwallowHirundo rustica
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2024
GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2024
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus2024
RedwingTurdus iliacus2023
MoorhenGallinula chloropus2023
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2023
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus2022
SwiftApus apus
House MartinDelichon urbicum
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2024
LinnetLinaria cannabina2024
Grey PartridgePerdix perdix2024
House SparrowPasser domesticus2024
SkylarkAlauda arvensis2024
GoosanderMergus merganser2024
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2023
KingfisherAlcedo atthis2023
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus2023
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2023
LapwingVanellus vanellus2022
JayGarrulus glandarius2021
Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa2018

🦌

Mammals4 species

winterspringsummerautumn

2025

Hedgehog · Roe Deer · Indet. Deer · Otter

HedgehogErinaceus europaeus2020
Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
Indet. DeerCervidae2022
OtterLutra lutra2022

🦎

Reptiles1 species

autumn

2021

Grass Snake

Grass SnakeNatrix helvetica

🐝

Insects13 species

summer

2022

Red Admiral · Speckled Wood · Western Conifer Seed Bug · Green-veined White · Peacock +8

Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta2017
Speckled WoodPararge aegeria2017
Western Conifer Seed BugLeptoglossus occidentalis2018
Green-veined WhitePieris napi2017
PeacockAglais io2017
Hairy DragonflyBrachytron pratense

🌿

Plants10 species

autumn

2025

Japanese Knotweed · Smaller Lattice-moss · Wood Bristle-moss · Kneiff's Feather-moss · White-tipped Bristle-moss +5

Japanese KnotweedReynoutria japonica2023
Smaller Lattice-mossCinclidotus fontinaloides2023
Wood Bristle-mossLewinskya affinis2023
Kneiff's Feather-mossLeptodictyum riparium2023
White-tipped Bristle-mossOrthotrichum diaphanum2023

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Christine Johnstone · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

No 10 moored at Sugar Mill Ponds Nature Reserve

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🌱West ParkUrban park4.9 km→🌱Rawcliffe GreenUrban park2.1 km→⛪St James's ChurchReligious grounds2.1 km→🌽Snaith Road AllotmentsAllotments2.1 km→⛪Holy Trinity ChurchReligious grounds3.4 km→✦Kings Manor moated site, 450m south of Little LondonHistoric site4.3 km→

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