Heritage trail takes in area of wildlife

In the 19th and 20th centuries the area was dominated by industries, but these have now all but disappeared and the area has returned to being a haven for wildlife.

The western end of the trail, which is split into two sections, starts at Burton upon Stather – which was used secretly during the Second World War for testing amphibious tanks in preparation for an assault to cross the Rhine in Nazi-occupied Europe.

It wends its way along the bank, taking in the Far Ings National Nature Reserve, where the open water reedbeds and meadows of the reserve were originally formed by the tile and cement industry.

At the industry's height in the late 1800s, hundreds of men were employed to dig the clay by hand. The tile yards were abandoned in the 1950s, leaving the pits to fill naturally with water.

The reedbeds are now a stronghold for one of Britain's rarest birds, the bittern.

The trail ends at Waters' Edge Visitor Centre, which was officially opened by the Countess of Wessex in July 2006.

Seven information panels have been installed at key locations.

Packs of self-guided walk leaflets are available from tourist information centres and attractions across the region, and can be downloaded from www.south-humber-collection.org.

Walkers can choose between an eight-mile stretch between Burton upon Stather and Winteringham, taking in Alkborough and Whitton or a shorter 4.5-mile route from South Ferriby to Barton-upon- Humber, going through Far Ings and ending at the Waters' Edge Country Park.

The trail is the result of a collaboration between North Lincolnshire Council and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the South Humber Wildlife & People Project.