Haslam Park and Local Nature Reserve

Haslam Park, situated in Ashton, North West of Preston, consists of a formal park and a nature reserve.
The park was opened in 1910 on land given to the people of Preston by Mary Haslam, the daughter of a local mill owner. It is owned by and is the responsibility of Preston City Council (PCC).

The Friends of Haslam Park (FoHP) support and work with PCC. We hold monthly meetings which are attended by a PCC Parks Department representative to discuss issues, plans etc. Although the Friends are not responsible for management or upkeep of the formal the park we do maintain the rose beds and the sensory garden. Members of the group are a regular presence on the park doing general checks and engaging with the public. Concerns or H&S issues noted are reported to PCC. The Friends organise public work parties and events. Heritage Open days are an annual occasion.

FoHP are very environmentally aware. We propose ecological initiatives to increase biodiversity while retaining the formality of the park.
Notable recent recommendations are...
A tree planting scheme to include a national collection of species within suitable genera. To date this has not been approved beyond small scale planting in specified areas. This project is still on our agenda.
Continued work to create a wildflower meadow on an area of rank grassland.
Differential mowing, leaving grass uncut around trees, proposed by the Friends in 2019 is now being carried out in other parts of the city. There is scope to include more areas on Haslam which will again be discussed with PCC.

Adjacent to the park is Haslam Local Nature Reserve (LNR). It was designated in 2006 on land that was farmed until the 1970's.

FoHP work closely with a Lancashire Wildlife Trust officer and volunteers to improve, maintain and create habitat throughout the reserve. A yearly work plan in keeping with the 5 year management plan is produced. PCC are kept informed of our work schedule and they support our management of the reserve. We also work with local and national groups on various projects i.e. removal of non-native invasive flora.

The LNR mosaic habitat consists of hedgerows, woodland, wildflower meadows, open grassland, a wetland and a community orchard. Two fresh water brooks run through it and the Lancaster Canal forms its northern border. The thriving reserve supports a healthy variety of flora and fauna. Records from surveys carried out by FoHP and LWT volunteers and sightings by local and visiting naturalists are collated and submitted to LERN and other relevant recording networks.

FoHP adopted the stretch of the Lancaster Canal which boarders Haslam. This is a joint agreement between FoHP and Canal & Rivers Trust. The Friends work on the towpath to carry out safety checks, cut back tree growth,and do botanical surveys. We have an annual joint work session with Inland Waterways Association to remove invasive plants. Public walks which take in the Lancaster Canal are organised by the Friends and we support events run by PCC Rangers.