Jackhouse Nature Reserve

27/09/2026

Have a fun afternoon today in or outside - depending on the weather - at Rhyddings Park.

Lots of organisations here in and outside the Coach House for the health and happiness event, on now until 4pm.

The Friends of Jackhouse are next to Prospects Hyndburn. Come and say hello and try our nature and health quizzes😀

24/09/2026

I had a nice little walk around the Jackhouse Nature Reserve today, looking for Fairies (didn't find any) but I did see a few interesting things.

24/09/2026

Dawn at Jackhouse.

Come to Rhydddings Park this Sunday afternoon and find out how spending time in Jackhouse Nature Reserve can improve your mental and physical health. Let's protect the nature and wildlife we have on our doorstep.

16/09/2026

04/09/2026

A big thank you to the volunteers from United Utilities who joined other volunteers to tackle the remaining balsam on the sloping meadowland down from Cobbs Lane on Wednesday.

The session was led by Robert Gabyszak, from Hyndburn Prospects, who runs twice monthly volunteering sessions in Jackhouse as part of his Hyndburn nature reserves project.

After the area was robo-mowed a couple of weeks ago, there were still small areas of Himalayan balsam left amongst brambles and bilberries.

It's now all gone. And the team also raked away most of the cut area to reduce nutrients and help our wild flowers.

Thank you to them - and we hope they'll return next year to do some more volunteering when the area they cleared is turned into a new wetland scrape to bring more biodiversity to Jackhouse.

This work wouldn't be possible without grant funding from the Windfall Fund, with a donation from United Utilities itself to support our work.

31/08/2026

The streams are back running, the blackberries still fruiting...and some new fungi have appeared. Compare the white one with the fallen blackberry in the photo!

28/08/2026

We gathered at Jackhouse and at The Coach House, Rhyddings Park, yesterday to mark the role Stan Woodhouse played in bringing Jackhouse Nature Reserve to Oswaldtwistle. Thank you to the Mayor of Hyndburn, the Friends of Rhyddings Park and everyone who made the event special.

Stan came along with family members and friends to visit Jackhouse, remember what it was like as a reservoir and see the new signs about the be installed.

This is what the Mayor said: "In 1863 Oswaldtwistle Town Board decided to build three reservoirs, to provide water to the growing town.

"Jackhouse, Cocker Cobbs and Warmwithens served local people for over 100 years.

"In November 1970 Warmwithens breached its dam, flooding north into Oswaldtwistle. It caused damage but no human injuries. That was the beginning of the end for the reservoirs.

"North West Water created modern and more efficient reservoirs and eventually decided to sell off Jackhouse and Cocker Cobbs.

"Enter Stan Woodhouse. Stan worked for Hyndburn Council as head of its Community Programme Unit, training hundreds of people to help them find paid work. He created training courses, syllabuses and course work and the CPU became a national example of best practice.

"But Stan was also from Oswaldtwistle and a keen bird watcher. In his own time he used to visit Jackhouse regularly. He heard from the boss at NWW about their plans to fill in all the reservoirs and sell off the land: he couldn’t let that happen. So he suggested that the water level could be lowered (Jackhouse was around 40ft deep) and the whole area turned into a nature reserve for local wildlife and people.

"He prepared a 16-page report proposing a nature reserve. And, persuaded by Stan’s proposal, on Thursday 6 November 1986 the Council’s Development Services Committee agreed. The sale of the 35.5 acres went through on 22 September 1988.

"Ever since the decision by North West Water to decommission the reservoirs in 1983, there has been joint working between Hyndburn Council staff and councillors, North West Water (now United Utilities), community organisations such as the Lancashire Trust for Nature Conservation - now the Lancashire Wildlife Trust - and local residents ……… something which has continued to happen for over forty years, and continues to this day.

"THANK YOU STAN."

27/08/2026

Thank you to the Friends of Rhyddings Park for hosting and thank you to the Mayor of Hyndburn for attending our event today, held to say thanks to Stan Woodhouse. We were delighted that members of Stan's family came and joined the celebration.

It's nearly 40 years since the council decided to buy the redundant reservoirs and create a nature reserve, following Stan's proposal.

The joint working of the council, staff and councillors, with partners such as North West Water, Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Hyndburn Prospects Foundation and local residents was strong then and continues to this day.

🌿 A Special Time at the Coach House

It was wonderful to welcome Stan Woodhouse, his family, The Mayor, and The Friends of Jackhouse to the Coach House today — a celebration of the fantastic work happening up at Jackhouse Nature Reserve, and a chance to recognise Stan’s contribution to the Jackhouse Nature Reserve in the 1980’s

There’s a lovely display in the event room all about the history of Jackhouse Nature Reserve and the work ongoing today. It will be up for the next couple of weeks, so please do pop in and have a look when the cafe is open.

A huge thank you to The Friends of Jackhouse and Prospects Foundation for everything they do to care for the reserve — your dedication keeps this beautiful space thriving for wildlife and for our community.

💚 Community, heritage, and green spaces — all celebrated together today.

The official photos will follow ....

12/08/2026

Great event at Jackhouse last night - the last event in the series of trial races organised by events.

13/06/2026

Thank you to our volunteers again this morning for a productive session of balsam removal. You'll be able to see the piles among the deciduous trees on the path parallel Cobbs Lane!

Our sessions continue fortnightly on a Saturday starting 10am. So come along on Saturday 27 June 😀