Gallows Hill Nature Reserve

'Gallows Hill' in Otley has a grisly past, as executions were carried out there from the Anglo-Saxon era onwards. During the reign of Henry I (1100-1135) the Archbishop of York had the power to execute thieves caught in the Manor of Otley. This was stopped in 1614, and there were no more executions after that. It then became a sludge bed for a sewage works! Thankfully someone had the vision to clean it up and since the 1990s it has been a nature reserve, with trees planted at that time now becoming a healthy woodland and wild flowers self-seeding. Birds such as songthrushes, blackbirds, wrens and robins nest there and it has many summer visitor species - warblers, blackcaps.

It's bounded by the river on one side, and a road on the other, and has ponds and bog areas (in normal seasons anyway!). The river, slowly moving, made for lovely reflections.

One of the resident robins was singing for all he was worth, defending his territory, I think, rather than trying to attract a mate. 

There are well maintained paths around the reserve, making it a great place for dog-walking and easily navigable with buggies or walkers so it's an accessible local amenity. 

There's not much colour apart from green and brown at this time of year but woodland shelters gave me a focal point, as did the spears of purple loosestrife on the pond margins.