Newest nature reserve opens for business at Yorkshire site of Second World War airfield

But now birdsong is all that disturbs the silence of Skipwith Common, the country's newest national nature reserve, which was officially opened yesterday.

Once part of RAF Riccall, nature and the efforts of Natural England and landowners have restored the common to how it was centuries ago.

A Spitfire, piloted by Charlie Brown, flew over the site yesterday after a service of dedication for a memorial to the hundreds of RAF personnel who lived there.

The site is the sixth national nature reserve in Yorkshire, and one of the last remaining pockets of lowland heath which once would have covered much of the southern end of the Vale of York. Rich in rare heathland plants, with dragonflies and invertebrates, it supports more than 70 species of breeding birds including nightjars and woodlarks.

The airfield was used during the war to train crews to fly Halifax bombers, but now adders and grass snakes lurk in defunct bomb bunkers, while shallow ponds dug out of runways support vast quantities of great crested newts.

In the summer a myriad of tracks and animal compounds used by ancient man area is visible from the air. Scrub is now kept down by a small army of animals including hebridean sheep, longhorn cattle and Exmoor ponies.

Landowner Charlie Forbes Adam, of Escrick Park Estate, said: "We wouldn't have had the resources on our own to restore the open heathland areas.

"Natural England are making the unprofitable part of enterprises possible by injecting funds to help pay the cost of shepherding and flock management and helping with the purchase of longhorn cattle."

Senior reserve manager Craig Ralston said: "The fact we have part of the RAF base here, the bomb bases and the runways, make it very easy for people to access and enjoy the site.

"National nature reserves are all about trying to get people and reconnect them with nature."

Events being held in the village and at Skipwith Common over the weekend include sheep dog trials, falconry and a display of military vehicles.