Horseshoe Lake
Horseshoe Lake, which covers about 22 acres and is named after its horseshoe-shaped island, lies about half a mile to the west of Sandhurst.
Originally part of an extensive network of working gravel pits that have now been flooded, this site now occupies an attractive setting in the Blackwater Valley and is a popular venue for those who enjoy dinghy sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, birdwatching and walking.
Site surveys carried out at Horseshoe lake in recent years have confirmed that the site is home to a wide variety of birds, including winter visitors and breeding birds. Mallard, Gadwall, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goosander, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Coot, Lapwing, Common Tern, Redshank, Ringed Plover and Little Ringed Plover, a species listed on Bracknell Forest’s Biodiversity Action Plan, are among those species recorded at Horseshoe Lake. House Martins, Swallows and Swifts can be seen swooping for insects, and the Barn Owl, a protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and also listed on the local Biodiversity Action Plan, is also known to inhabit the site.
Other wildlife includes several species of grasshoppers and crickets, twelve species of dragonflies and eighteen species of butterflies. These invertebrates depend on the range of habitats present, including open water, marginal shallows, shingle, bare ground, rough grassland and patches of developing scrub. Cattle can be seen grazing along the banks of the lake at certain times of year where scrub clearance is being carried out over the winter of 2006-07, restoring wildlife-rich meadows.
There is plenty of opportunity for a stroll beside Horseshoe Lake. A bridleway runs along the northern boundary and a clear path circumnavigates the lake, providing very pleasant views of the site and the surrounding countryside.
Horseshoe Lake is a superbly resourced centre, provided by Bracknell Forest Borough Council and managed by Freetime Leisure. The Centre is dedicated to the concept of ‘watersports for all’. Dinghy sailing, windsurfing, dragon boating, canoeing and raft building are among the activities taking place here. For general enquiries telephone Freetime Leisure on 01252 871808 or view the Horseshoe Lake Watersports Centre page.
To order a copy of this leaflet showing details of the nature trail go to our Order Form.
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