Nestled away behind the village of Leswalt lies a small patch of woodland that leads into a wetland area and rock garden. This is Aldouran Glen, and despite its relatively small size, it can be a great spot for all sorts of different wildlife. Accessible from the village of Leswalt or a car park around the back, it is a straight walk through the woods, with an optional loop if you feel like climbing hills. It is a lovely walk through the trees and has loads of surprises, including wood carvings, a bird hide, and a Red Squirrel feeding station.
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| OS Map of Aldouran Glen |
Starting from the Western car park, you quickly descend into the woodland ravine. The path follows a stream (which is looking a bit small thanks to all this sun) at the base of the glen, and weaves between the conifer trees as they sway and creak in the breeze. Traveling along the path you can enjoy an idyllic walk over rickety bridges, stone pathways and boarded walkways. If you venture up the far side of the ravine, you might stumble across the scattered remains of an Iron Age fort. The woods then lead out into a large pond area with all sorts of visitor attractions, and beyond that a rockery garden and the village of Leswalt.
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| The halfway-point, where you can cross over the stream |
In the peak of spring, the banks are overloaded with Bluebells and Garlic, whilst at the moment there is a great variety of flowering plants and ferns. Some of these include Scaly Male and Lady Ferns, alongside flowers like Wood Anemone. Dogs Mercury and Yellow Pimpernels. Up in the trees there are a good selection of woodland birds to see, including Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Coal Tits. The Glen is also a great place to see Spotted Flycatchers, as they feast on the insects that swarm over the stream. The woods are home to many mammals, and several deer trails cross over the pathway as they head up and down the sides of the ravine. Over the stream, you can see the occasional daylight flying Pipistrelle Bat, whilst at the very edge of the woodland is a Red Squirrel feeding station, along with a viewing platform that affords plenty of photo opportunities.
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| Aldouran Glen's pond is brimming with plant life |
At the base of the Glen lies a large pond, crossed by boarded walkways and filled with all kinds of plants and animals. As a man-made water feature, most of the plants here are not actually native locally and include Canadian Pond Weed, Flowering Rush, and yellow waterlilies. By far the most numerous animals are the insects, and the many flies above the water attract all sorts of predators. Dragonflies and Damselflies of a few different species have been recorded here, however, you have to go at the right time of year to find them. Currently, Swallows alongside House and Sand Martins are enjoying the banquet, whilst this is also another great place to see Spotted Flycatchers out in the open. This water is surrounded by tall grasses and rushes, from which many species can be heard. These include the aptly named Warblers, including Sedge and Grasshopper Warblers.
The water itself is home to lots of life. Though there are no fish are present in the pond, there is a nice variety of insects and amphibians. Only recently the waters were filled with thousands of tadpoles, many of which have since grown up into tiny frogs that hop across the boardwalk. Much harder to spot are the newts, which as predominantly nocturnal species, are not particularly active during the day. If you're lucky you might see a Palmate Newt sunning itself in a clear patch of water, though if they swim into the pondweed then good luck finding them as they become perfectly camouflaged. In the depths are the larvae of many insects including Caddis Flies, whilst on the surface Pond Skaters dash about.
As you can see there is so much to experience at Aldouran Glen, it is definitely worth a trip down to visit. It is particularly nice at this time of the year, and in the summer sun you can easily spend a day exploring its many hidden secrets. Whether you are on the lookout for birds, or just a nice walk in the woods, this is the ideal spot and I would highly recommend should you find yourself in the area.
[All photographs were taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]
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