At the 2024 Stanage Forum open meeting in October we reported the findings from our surveys on the estate. Only just over 50% of the surveys went ahead with the others being cancelled due to poor weather (rain, overcast conditions, hill fog and extreme heat) 2 surveys went ahead but the forecast sunshine never made an appearance, whilst just one survey in October 2024 had suitable weather but no lizards were seen. Having divided up the large estate into 11 zones where we thought lizards would be present we have now confirmed that they are present in every zone area. Further surveys will be undertaken in 2025 to examine some of teh areas in more detail.

After Derbyshire ARG did surveys this year at Horseshoe Quarry the BMC have published the attached article https://www.thebmc.co.uk/rewilding-success-horseshoe-quarry-2024

Horseshoe Quarry, also known as Furness Quarry, is a large, disused limestone quarry in Stoney Middleton, Peak District with a long history of climbing and owned by the BMC since 2005. Almost three decades on, rewilding at the site has already been fantastically successful, with hundreds of newts and toad tadpoles spotted in the pond this spring.

   Horseshoe Quarry pond (left)    Toad tadpoles just hatched in 2024 (right) 

A short history of Horseshoe Quarry

Although climbers snuck in anyway, there was originally no CROW access to Horseshoe Quarry. So, in 2005 the BMC purchased an 8.5ha area of the site to secure access to walkers, climbers and cavers in perpetuity. Alongside this, a local management group was created to care for the area and promote local botanical and ecological interests, because the land lies within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Over the years there has been a great deal of rewilding work at Horseshoe Quarry including footpath improvement, the creation of a wildlife pond, ecological surveys, woodland management and control of invasive species. So much so that this former quarry has become a highly reputable recreational and environmental asset. 

In 2007 the Vision Project funded the creation of a wildlife pond to the south of the quarry floor, which is now teaming with wildlife, as Chris Monk, secretary of the Derbyshire Amphibian and Reptile Group (ARG) discovered this spring. 

Rewilding: latest update

Chris Monk, secretary of the Derbyshire Amphibian and Reptile Group shares the good news.

What were the amphibian and reptile counts like before this restoration work?
Initially there was no pond in the quarry but a small area of shallow water that collected on the quarry floor and was used by amphibians. However these pools dried up in summer most years so the amphibian tadpoles would die. I was asked By the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) staff in May 2006 to survey the quarry and other ponds in the area for their Vision Project. This revealed just over 30 smooth newts, some frogspawn and toad spawn strings in the shallow pools.

How has the site improved for amphibians and reptiles?
The PDNPA asked Henry Folkard [award-winning BMC Peak District volunteer and tireless access campaigner] whether they could include the quarry in their new Proliferating Ponds in the Peak funding bid to have a completely new pond constructed. The funding bid was successful and work to build the pond started in spring 2007. It was built close to the pools on the quarry floor so that the amphibians could easily find it and a survey in 2008 found smooth newts in the new pond with none in the shallow pools.

Over the years the amphibian population based around the pond has grown as there is now no risk of summer desiccation of the tadpoles. Also the pond has been colonised by great crested newts, so the pond is now used by all four amphibian species that are found across the White Peak.

What will you do with the survey information you collected?
The survey results are passed to the BMC and PDNPA, so that such a good amphibian population, especially with the presence of the legally protected great crested newt, is on record and is taken into account when considering management of the site.

How can BMC members and climbers using Horseshoe Quarry help maintain this improvement in wildlife?
By taking care when at the site to not disturb the boulders and rock piles in the old quarry as that could result in hiding amphibians being crushed or buried. Also by not introducing any plants or animals into the pond. Thank you. 

Anything else to mention?
Little is known about reptiles in the area - a single grass snake was seen in the quarry in 2009 by Henry Folkard, but they range quite widely so it was probably just assessing the location. Slow-worms and common lizards could be present in or near the quarry but they are often difficult to spot. If anyone sees a reptile then please report it to the BMC and the PDNPA ecologists.  

The initial pond work was funded by Derbyshire Aggregates Levy Grant Scheme (DALGS), which also funded the woodland walkway and link to the PROW down the Dale to the east. The recent pond renovation was funded via FiPL (Farming in Protected Landscapes).

The May 2024 survey of the pond by the Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group counted 241 smooth newts, 14 great crested newts and thousands of toad tadpoles. The disused quarry is obviously an ideal location for amphibians with a good pond for breeding and excellent terrestrial habitat with its loose rock piles providing a mass of resting and hibernating locations for them.

The Group's outdoor programme has now finished for this year, though we are attending one more indoor event in November and hope to set up an indoor members meeting & AGM in January or February..

The pond surveys carried out in the Peak District in the north of the county and in the National Forest in the south of the county were sucessful in involving a large number of members. They resulted in updated and new records of all 5 species of amphibians native to the county (common frog, common toad, smooth newt, palmate newt and great crested newt).The findings were reported to the landowners, Peak District National Park Authority, farmers and detailed site survey reports were done for the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, the National Forest Company, the Woodland Trust and the Rosliston Forestry Centre (run by South Derbyshire District Council and Forestry England).

Members and local residents/volunteers participated in the toad crossing patrols at many sites across the county and adder emergence surveys were carried out in the Peak District as happens every year.

Reptile surveys were carried out at our two cover object survey sites at Hassop and at Linacre with sightings of common lizard, slow-worm and grass snake. Initially this year looked as though it would continue the run of cancellations due to bad weather for the Stanage visual surveys at North Lees after a run of 5 cancellations starting last year and again this spring & early summer.  Eventually in August & early September we had better luck and actually managed to get out, survey and find lots of common lizards, including the first records from one of the moorland sites. We hope to get SSSI permissions for installing some cover object arrays next year in areas away from public pressure in the hope of finding some of the elusive snakes reported up there and for evidence of slow-worms. Meetings and advice were given to the National Trust about surveys and habitat works that could be undertaken on one of their sites that has an important grass snake population.

Our stall and display were taken to two public events this year, we were invited to the Friends of Pleasley Pit's Wildlife Day at the Pleasley Pit Country Park in May and in mid September we again attended the annual Derbyshire Woodland Festival at Elvaston Castle Country Park, The latter managed to avoid the rain, which turned up just after it closed on the second day and we spoke to numerous people about our native reptiles and amphibians and took many records of casual sightings people had made in their garden or out in the countryside.

Our stand at the Woodland Festival

Derbyshire ARG was invited to a couple of meetings in January & February dealing with those issues

Firstly there was a seminar organised by Natural England to seek information on possible species recovery or re-introduction in the county for their upcoming grant scheme for projects.

Unfortunately there are no amphibian or reptile species that could be re-introduced into the county as the geology and weather means that the county is not suitable for any of the native species that are not already present (Smooth snake, Sand Lizard, Natterjack Toad or Pool Frog). Although we would like to see species recovery particularly to extend the adder population in the Peak District there is not enough information on how to successfully carry this out at present and certainly not within the short timescale for the grant scheme.

Last Friday 10^th February the ARG Chair and Secretary attended the first Bolsover Local Nature Recovery Summit meeting at the Bolsover District Council Offices. The Council and the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust had produced an Action Plan for Nature Recovery across the District. It was attended by a large number of representatives of wildlife groups, parish councils and community groups who also took part in workshop sessions across 3 themes.

Our suggestions of following up on the several registered toad crossings across the District as we do not know of any volunteer groups covering the crossings or of other unregistered sites. We also supported the creation and survey of more ponds across the District and suggested we hoped to re-establish a grass snake egg laying heap at one site where a former wildlife group had built them in the past and they were used by the snakes.

At the request of Severn-Trent Water's ranger in March 2022 we gave a presentation on reptile surveying to his volunteer party As occasional sightings of grass snakes have been made around the reservoirs we laid out a mixture of cover objects. In early September we organised a reptile survey field trip to check on the survey cover objects and 4 grass snakes were found at two locations. It is planned to continue the survey next year in spring 2023.

Large adult grass snake with it's head down a hole

Habitat pile created by S-T Water ranger & his volunteers cutting back dense stands of Rosebay willowherb and stacking the arisings. These will be good for grass snakes.