Lintzgarth Fell Reserve
The Trust's first wildlife reserve was purchased by Philip Wayre in October 2000 and presented by him to the Trust in 2006. Covering 482 acres all within a ring fence the land is largely moorland known as a white grass area because of the vegetation which often borders heather moorland in the Northeast Pennines. The lower end of the farm is what is known as in-bye land, that is land which is divided up into fields where the grassland in some cases may have been improved. This area is particularly attractive to Lapwings and in most years at least eight pairs breed on the farm. They are attracted by the abundant feeding in the form of insect life and by the open nature of the fields where the grass is kept short by sheep grazing outside the nesting season. There is an attractive "cleugh" or beck running through a small valley which has been planted with deciduous trees found in upland areas. The stream itself provides the drinking water for a small hamlet down towards the village.
A public footpath passes through the northern end of the fell following an old leadmining trail. There are signs of mining practices carried out 100 years ago and more all over the farm and some of the shafts are quite deep and are protected with steel grids to prevent people and animals falling down them.
The vegetation of the fell itself is typical of the area bordering on the heather moorland with species such as Cotton-grass, White Bent, Mat-grass and Wavy Hairgrass. Bilberry is one of the more beneficial species found up on the fell wherever the area is wet enough. This is an important food plant for both Red and Black Grouse. Two 50 metre square enclosures have been erected at the southern end of the fell to protect the best areas of Bilberry from grazing sheep and cattle which are necessary to control the length of the vegetation over the whole fell.
In spring the reserve is home to large numbers of breeding waders. In most years there are more than twenty pairs of Curlew, six pairs of Golden Plover, three or four pairs of Redshank, two or more pairs of Snipe and usually two pairs of Dunlin now a rare species on these northern moors. Skylarks are abundant and in spring the air is full of their song. This, coupled with the bubbling calls of Curlew and the high-pitched whistling of Golden Plover makes the fell a truly enchanting place.
Lower down the fell an old mining settlement pit has been flooded and attracts Mallard and other wildfowl throughout the year. Throughout the fell over forty scrapes, small pools around 4 metres square, have been excavated wherever the land is wet enough and these are a great attraction to nesting waders as they provide an abundance of insect life upon which the young birds feed.
A hide has been built on one of the higher points of the land which rises to 554 metres above sea level (1,800 ft). From it one can see virtually the whole of the reserve sloping down to the north.
This reserve is an absolute paradise for wildlife and is in one of the most important areas for breeding waders, several species of which are in serious decline.
