Cold Springs Community Nature Reserve

The challenge and the progress made

Challenge

Barriers to access

• Physical: Steep site with no current access other than that required for farming. Limited parking.
• Social: Residents are still learning about the site’s existence (helped through the consultation phase), and what they are able to do there.
• This project seeks to link up Penrith’s green spaces with a ‘greenways map’ for Penrith.

Progress highlights last quarter: Apr 2026 - Jun 2026

• Work is underway to provide more infrastructure in the tree nursery.
• The second year of annual surveying continues, with amazing results at the Breakfast & Bioblitz event. Continued engagement to promote citizen logging of data in the reserve has seen good results on iNaturalist. Through this, Reed warblers have been spotted on the reserve for the first time. June’s bee survey saw a record 190 individuals from 19 species and the meadow survey showed growth in species in the fields that underwent winter seeding.
• The Wildlife Garden is really coming along. This includes a large amount of additional planting, creation of a dead hedge, new paths created and fencing installed. 
• The community tree nursery has begun in earnest, with 100 of last year’s seeds germinating and being ‘pricked out’ into beds. 
• The KS2 school provision across the Eden is receiving great response, with approximately 65 x KS2 students from Yanwath School learning about trees via the tree detective game; and pond dipping on site being undertaken by 32 children from St Catherine’s school, 29 children from Crosby Ravensworth and 21 children from Bolton Primary.
• Events at Cold Springs go from strength to strength, with the annual ‘Bottle Shaking festival’ attracting 120 attendees, and the Great Big Green Week ‘Breakfast and Bioblitz’ event seeing 55 people attend. In addition to the regular Nature Tots and Kids Clubs, an exciting new relationship has begun with the New Leaf centre, an alternative provision school in Penrith.

Progress highlights to date: Apr 2024 - Mar 2026

• Thanks to match funding by Penrith Town Council, the Access path is now complete. This runs an additional 0.6km across the south side of the reserve, linking the external accessible Right of Way with the pond platforms and the Wildlife garden. 
• Thanks to Free Trees schemes, a new woodland of 270 trees was planted, with an additional 150 new trees added to an existing area of scrubland.
• One pond is now complete in structure and awaiting planting.
• The wildlife garden progresses - we had a fantastic community day installing a willow dome, and have continued with weeding, planning and design.
• Over 200 wildflower bulbs planted to provide early food sources, as well as colour, next Spring.
• Volunteers who attended last winter’s apple tree grafting workshops have now planted their own grafted trees out in the Cold Springs Community orchard. 
• Engagement continues to be a major success at the reserve with local groups regularly utilising the reserve.
• The regular volunteers and steering group go from strength to strength, with a lot of self-directed work underway including well excavation and restoration, continued composting and wildflower planting.
• The circular path inside the reserve boundary is now open.
• 50 fruit trees being planted by 30 volunteers.
• 600 scrubs put in on west side of the site.
• Volunteers have made signage for the orchard and cold frames .
• ‘Men’s Shed’ initiative aimed at developing people’s skills and improving wellbeing.
• Access pathway completed, signage and seating development underway for circular footpath.
• Sessions held with Cold Springs care home,
• We welcomed Ullswater College and hosted ‘Young Volunteers North’.
• Fenced off the planted areas and installed gates at the access points.  
• Pond created and access for all footpath constructed to the pond so that residents, including those with limited mobility and young families can enjoy watching the wildlife.
• Volunteer conservation days tree weeding, installing stiles.
• Completed 12 plug planting days, community work with local scouts, engaging with the local council’s Wellbeing attendees and Eden Rivers Trust staff.
• Work has begun on seating and signage with aim of opening a circular ‘dog walking path’.
• Feature seating and viewpoint interpretation have been completed at the site are proving popular. Volunteers have completed installation of rabbit proof fencing and planting a ‘jam hedge’. The orchard is now complete and scythed regularly, and compost bins have been constructed in the wildlife garden.
• Monitoring of the site is ongoing with many species-specific surveys completed with CWT staff delivering training for volunteers. Species are showing in high numbers and surveys will inform decisions for ongoing work. Seed processing has begun, meaning the tree nursery is being populated and taking shape.