Media communications and how to join us

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Newnham residents will all know the Nature Reserve called PARADISE. It lies alongside the river, between Lammas Land Car Park and the bottom of Owlstone Rd and forms part of the green corridor which stretches along the river Cam between the city centre and the open countryside of the Grantchester Meadows. Although quite small, it hosts a variety of habitats. There is an area of wet woodland, with tall trees and dense scrub and then a sizeable pond area with open grassland. A winding pathway follows the line of the Cam along its western bank, the river forming the boundary to the Conservation Area, while at the back of the reserve, a boardwalk allows a circular walk.

This Local Nature Reserve is managed by Cambridge City Council and it provides excellent habitats for a variety of plants, mosses and liverworts, fungi, invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals. Trees within the reserve include Willow, Alder, Ash, Horse Chestnut and Hawthorn.  Among the notable species is the plant Butterbur, which was first recorded here over 400 years ago and whose huge leaves were used in the past by the Paradise House dairy for wrapping butter. Also here are rare Musk Beetles, a large long-horn beetle which favours wet woodland tree species such as Willows to lay its eggs. In spring, Mayflies (Ephemera vulgata) are abundant and provide food for fish, birds and bats. Mammals recorded include Muntjac deer, Common Shrew, Pygmy Shrew and Harvest Mouse.  Fishing along this stretch of river is popular and may sometimes produce enormous Pike, as well as a variety of other fish.

Six species of Bat have been recorded here: Daubenton’s, Noctule, Brown Long-eared, Serotine and both Common and Soprano Pipistrelle Bats. Birds include Sparrowhawk, Tawny Owl, Mistle Thrush, Tits, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Wren and Sedge Warblers. Siskins are also seen regularly on Alder in the winter. Whitethroat has been recorded as nesting in the tall herb/rank grassland next to the car park. On nearby Paradise Island, there is a Heronry and in the winter, huge flocks of Rooks and Jackdaws.

For many residents, a walk through Paradise is a daily pleasure – it is heavily used by pedestrians, fishermen, dog walkers and joggers. Recently, to bring all these people together, we formed the FRIENDS OF PARADISE, to celebrate the reserve and help with its preservation and management. So far, we have planted snowdrops, had meetings about hedgehogs and recycling and formed work parties, giving Vic Smith (the City’s ecology officer) some hands-on help. We have also organised a successful Bat walk, had talks about various aspects of wildlife and held a summer Picnic, where everyone joined in the Tug-of-War. Please join us, to celebrate and preserve this special place!

If you would like to become a member of Friends of Paradise, join a work party or simply report a problem, please contact one of the people at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest in Paradise Nature Reserve.