周辺のスポット/アトラクション・トップ20

Encompassing a stretch of 3 kilometers along the northern bank of the River Leam, this nature reserve features a diverse range of habitats including woodlands, grasslands, marshes, and ponds. The ecological significance of this area lies in its capacity to support various bird species, butterflies, dragonflies, and a vibrant array of wildflowers. Apart from this, the reserve also has amenities such as a skateboard park, an adventure playground, and a dedicated area for children's play. These facilities have been strategically situated at a distance to ensure minimal disruption to the local wildlife.

These sculptures were created to remind visitors of the rich geological history of the Ryton Pools where pieces of neck, tooth and tusk of the straight-tusked elephant were found in the local sand quarries. These massive creatures roamed this area half a million years ago and the life size sculptures bring to life the ancient history of the park.

Funded through the National Lottery Heritage Fund the Dunsmore Living Landscape scheme aims to restore the most significant area of ancient woodland in Warwickshire, increase landscape connectivity through the restoration of hedgerows, grasslands, ponds and heritage sites and engage local communities in a programme of natural  and heritage-related activities. These metal sculptures were created and installed to help bring to life the geological history of the Dunsmore Living Landscape Scheme area at Ryton Pools, where pieces of neck bone, tooth and tusk of the Straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus, were all found in the local sand quarries. The sculptures were a collaboration between Spencer Jenkins, a green wood and metalwork artist (designer, and project manager), and Artfabs Ltd, a specialist fabrication contractor who will assist with larger construction challenges. These creatures would have roamed the area around half a million years ago. The life size sculptures will bring to life the ancient history of the park and reflect important palaeontological finds made on the site during quarrying.

As part of the creation of a new UK Mail facility at the Prologis Park Ryton, our client Prologis had created a temporary borrow pit as part of the works and inadvertently, created the perfect new home for a colony of Sand Martins Riparia riparia which moved in and successfully bred (2015). The birds were left to nest in peace after a wide exclusion zone was implemented but realising that the site was on the birds’ migration route together with the fact that the borrow pit couldn’t stay on site long-term, we worked with Prologis, Whiting Landscapes and the park rangers at nearby Ryton Pools Country Park to create a brand new permanent and purpose-built nesting site in this 100 acre site managed jointly between Warwickshire County Council and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. The Sand Martin nesting wall was completed in March 2016 and this year has already had a couple of pairs taking an interest. As well as providing a large and safe nesting habitat, the 15m long structure also has a number of pre-formed swallow nest sites and a rear door inspection hatch so that the rangers can keep an eye on the nesting progress and carry out any necessary maintenance. To prevent predation by other wildlife such as stoats, an anti-predator baffle has been installed below the tunnels which have been constructed of plastic pipes. We also helped create the new information board which has been installed opposite the nesting wall to inform the local visitors to the country park about the new nesting site. It’s hoped that grizzled skipper butterflies will also benefit from the new structure as one of the food plants of the larvae stage – strawberries – are to be planted on the aggregate roof in the near future! Sand Martins are gregarious and therefore tend to nest in large colonies. They are Europe’s smallest hirundine (martins and swallows) and the insectivorous birds are summer visitors to the UK, over-wintering in Africa.

Although part of Ryton Wood was lost to sand and gravel extraction in the 1960s, the wood has been returned to its present excellence though traditional management practices, and is one of the county's largest surviving semi-natural ancient woodlands.   Arguably the best of the Princethorpe Woods, Ryton Wood covers 85 hectares, has been designated as an SSSI and boasts an extensive list of notable species.   Parts of Ryton Wood date back to the 11th century, so the land may have been wooded since the end of last ice age. Finding coppiced, small-leaved lime stools is evidence to support this. Once the most common tree 5,000 years ago, the species is no longer so common. Huge ditches also indicate the wood’s ancient, medieval boundaries.   Forty or so species of tree and shrub have been identified, with oak the dominant tree. An abundance of honeysuckle, our county flower, scrambles through the lower-growing hazel - enjoy its sweet perfume on summer days.

Leam Valley Nature Reserve is a haven for wildlife next to the River Leam. Keep a look out for kingfishers, otters, grass snakes, dragonflies and damselflies as you explore. The reserve also boasts many species of wildflowers, including river marsh-marigold, yellow iris and purple-loosestrife flower.

The Church was founded by Richard the Forester in the 11th Century and presented in Richard II’s time to the Barons of Kenilworth, by William Croc. It later came under the Abbots of Worcester, but by 1693 was under the Cathedral Church of Lichfield. It is built of Limestone and Northampton stone, in the perpendicular style, but has been altered by successive generations. It was generally restored in 1862. The walls are three foot thick and have been buttressed up, externally. The most notable feature is the length of the embattlemented parapet, which runs the whole length of the Chancel. The square tower was built of old material in the 17th Century. The history of Chesterton Church is closely linked to that of the Peyto family who are said to have come over with William the Conqueror. Although they had previously owned land at Chesterton, it was not until the middle of the 14th Century that they came to live in the village. They built their big house to the north west of the church and established the fish ponds, over which they had to cross on their way to worship. Their later and more stylish Manor House built on the hill to the north of the church was pulled down in 1802. The Peyto’s were prominent men of their time. They included lawyers, soldiers and Members of Parliament. In the Civil War, Sir Edward Peyto supported Cromwell’s Parliamentarians, successfully leading the defence of Warwick Castle against the Royalists. The Peyto line ended in 1746 and the Manor and the Estate passed to the Verney family to whom they were linked by an earlier marriage. The Verneys are still the Patrons of Chesterton Church, through Lord Willoughby de Broke, 21st. Baron. In Victorian times heating was from three open fires in the central aisle with an under floor flue leading to a chimney within the Tower. For many years Chesterton was the Mother Church of the district, with coffins being carried from as far away as Bishop’s Itchington for burial. The registers date from 1538 and are now held in the County Archives.

The Church of St Michael which had originated, in the Medieval period, as a chapel to the church in Lower Itchington. It was completely rebuilt during the Imperial period and is situated in Bishop's Itchington. The church of ST. MICHAEL is situated on the north side of the village and stands in a small churchyard. The old church, which originated as a chapel to the church of All Saints in Lower Itchington (destroyed by Thomas Fisher), at the beginning of the 19th century consisted of a chancel and nave, structurally undivided, with a bell-turret at the west end. Judging from the view of it in the Aylesford Collection it had no external features earlier than the 17th century. In 1834 a small brick tower was added. The whole church was rebuilt in 1872 and consists of a chancel, nave, north aisle, west tower, organ chamber, and south porch. It is built of squared and coursed stonework and has a tiled roof of steep pitch. Internally all the walls are plastered and the floors tiled. The chancel is lighted by a tracery window of three trefoil lights on the east, on the south by a square-headed window of four trefoil lights, using old stone mullions, and a similar one of two lights. The south side of the nave has a porch with a trefoiled light on either side; the doorway has a moulded pointed arch, the mouldings dying out on splayed jambs. East of the porch are three tracery windows, one of four trefoil lights and the others of two. The north aisle has three tracery windows, one of three trefoil lights and the others with two, and on the west another of three. The organ chamber is at the east end of the aisle; it is lighted by a window of two trefoil lights on the east and has an entrance door on the north side with a flat shouldered head. The tower, which is without buttresses, is in two stages, with a weathered offset to the upper stage, gargoyles at each corner, and a plain parapet. The west door has a pointed arch of two splayed orders with a two-light tracery window over, and above a narrow rectangular light; on the south side there is a similar light with a clock dial above it. In the north-west angle there is a staircase turret with an external entrance, and on the north face another clock dial. The belfry has tracery windows of two trefoil lights on all four faces. The chancel (19 ft. 6 in. by 20 ft. 1 in) has a mosaic reredos at the east end and one step to the altar. On the north side there is an arch to the organ chamber. In the floor there is a white marble slab to Margaret, wife of Lord Chief Justice Willes, died 1757; and two slate slabs, one to John Willes, D.D., died 1700, the other to William Willes, son of John Willes, Chief Justice of Chester, died 1729; and on the south wall of the tower there is a memorial to John Willes, died 1761. The nave (33 ft. 1 in. by 20 ft. 1 in.) has a trussed rafter roof, plastered between the rafters. The font, in the south-west corner, is octagonal and made up of old stones, probably from the arcade of the earlier church. The chancel arch of two orders rests on short shafts of coloured marble resting on fluted stone corbels. The pointed tower arch is of two splayed orders, the outer carried down to the floor and the inner dying out on the wall. The nave arcade of three bays has pointed arches springing from circular shafts with moulded bases. The north aisle (33 ft. 1 in. by 14 ft. 11 in.) has an arch at the east end to the organ chamber similar to that from the chancel. The tower (11 ft. by 11 ft.) has a mural monument in marble, flanked by Doric pilasters, in memory of Thomas, the son of Sir Thomas Hardy, Rear Admiral, died 1749; on it is a shield, sable on a cheveron or three griffin's heads erased sable between three scallops or. Of the five bells by Taylor & Co., 1874, two were recast from bells of which one was probably by Watts of Leicester and the other by Pack and Chapman.  The registers commence 1585.