Wild place good for the soul

Published: 11:28 AM November 22, 2006 Updated: 9:51 PM February 22, 2021

THE photo of Paxton Pits in your article The Quiet Life (November 8) prompted me to add my voice to those who have proposed Paxton Pits Nature Reserve as their favourite place for a bit of tranquillity in the district. At the end of a working week, or eve

THE photo of Paxton Pits in your article The Quiet Life (November 8) prompted me to add my voice to those who have proposed Paxton Pits Nature Reserve as their favourite place for a bit of tranquillity in the district.

At the end of a working week, or even at the end of a hot summer's day, there is little better to revive the spirit than take a walk around the nature reserve, or simply sit on one of the seats overlooking the lakes and drink in the atmosphere.

The sound of nightingales in spring, swifts screaming overhead, perhaps an inquisitive dragonfly flitting along the water's edge.

Or dusk in winter, with the lonely whistling of the wigeons, the V-formation of incoming cormorants or perhaps a woodpecker flying in to roost. It's magic. I think we're very lucky that our local authority treats our quality of life seriously and supports this amenity.

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I see in the news that Natural England (www.naturalengland.org.uk/ press/news/081106.htm) is promoting the health benefits of wild places such as Paxton Pits, saying that it could save the NHS millions (quite relevant to the Hinchingbrooke campaign right now).

Long may Paxton Pits remain unspoilt, but that means looking after them for wildlife as well as people. Paxton is, very definitely, a nature reserve, not a country park. A walk around Paxton Pits is great for the soul too.