Stocker's Lake is an old flooded gravel pit of approx 90 acres (37.5ha) at

Rickmansworth Rickmansworth () is a town in south-west Hertfordshire, England, located approximately north-west of central London, south-west of Watford and inside the perimeter of the M25 motorway. The town is mainly to the north of the Grand Union Canal ( ...

, Hertfordshire, England, within the Colne Valley Regional Park which is designated as a Local Nature Reserve. The lake is owned by Affinity Water and managed by the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust assisted by the Friends of Stocker's Lake.

Environment

The lake has a number of small islands and is surrounded by mixed woodland,

alder Alders are trees of the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus includes about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species ex ...

carr and

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

scrub. It is almost adjacent to Springwell Lake reedbeds.

Wildlife

Situated on the North-South Flyway of the

Colne Valley The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward towards Huddersfield. ...

, the reserve is especially attractive to birds both in spring, when many migratory passerines pass through, and in winter, when the lake is full of

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which i ...

Common tern The common tern (''Sterna hirundo'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in Temperateness, temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is stron ...

s nest on specially constructed rafts moored on the lake, and the heronry is the largest in Hertfordshire. Over 60 species of birds are recorded to breed.

Access

The reserve (at ) is accessible at all times. Entrance to the reserve is via Rickmansworth Aquadrome, where there is car parking. Alternative parking is possible along Springwell Lane.

References

{{Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust Local Nature Reserves in Hertfordshire Geography of Three Rivers District Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust reserves Rickmansworth