The Blue Lagoon

Great Crested Grebe
© Richard Bowsher

The Blue Lagoon Nature Reserve is southwest of Bletchley, adjacent to the railway line. Formerly owned by the London Brick Company, the area has been landscaped to become an interlocking series of lakes and ponds.

The Blue Lagoon itself used to be a large pit that was used to excavate clay for brick making. The pit was flooded over 50 years ago when the walls collapsed and water from the Water Eaton Brook came in.

The shallow ponds are a good place to see dragonflies. Sixteen of the seventeen species that have been recorded in the Milton Keynes area have been seen at the lagoon.

You may also see grass snakes at the nature reserve. They are good swimmers and can be seen swimming with their heads above water. If disturbed, grass snakes will dive and hide amongst water weeds where they can remain for up to an hour.

Some species that are found at the Blue Lagoon are:

Grass Snake
© George McCarthy

• Yellow iris
• Wild teasel
• Southern Hawker dragonfly 
• Common Darter dragonfly
• Emperor dragonfly
• Great crested grebe
• Grey heron 
• Kingfisher
• Reedmace
• Common-spotted orchid
• Emerald damselfly
• Grass snake

For more information call 01296 696012 or email erc@buckscc.gov.uk

Related pages:

• Search for another site
• Search for a species
• Copyright Information