"Since Derbyshire County Council Countryside Service took over Williamthorpe site, there has been nearly a million trees planted in the area. If you take the names of the 2 villages close by to Williamthorpe, which is Holmewood and Heath that gives you an idea of what the area was like many years ago. Holmewood being a woodland and Heath, heathland.
"We have still got remnants of this in the area if you look close enough. Looking over the hedge towards the industrial units, there is probably one of the largest reedbeds in the north east of the county. The reedbed itself is a very important habitat for the wildlife, both in the spring and summer and in winter. In holds one of the largest breeding colonies of reed and sedge warbler in the summer and in the winter it has held over 250 common snipe and there is also jack snipe and water rail. There's approximately 10 million gallons of water pumped through Williamthorpe ponds on a weekly basis."