Cali Heath Nature Reserve

During the Gold Rush of the mid-19th century, people flocked westward to California in search of fortune. Around the same time, a local trust granted an area of land in Barmby Moor to the poor, and many similarly journeyed westward for opportunities. This area became known as California Heath, or Cali Heath for short.

In 2003, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust took over the heath, which had partially been used as agricultural set-aside land. Since then, restoration work has focused on removing invasive scrub, bracken, and brambles, and re-seeding the area with native grasses and wildflowers to revive its rare acidic grassland habitat. The heath is now grazed by Hebridean sheep to manage scrub growth and maintain the delicate ecosystem.

Cali Heath is home to plants such as bird’s-foot trefoil, dove’s-foot cranesbill, and common stork’s-bill, which attract a variety of insects, including some rare species. A small area of oak woodland, with alder and willow, adds to the site’s diversity. In spring, the woodland comes alive with the songs of chiffchaffs, blackcaps, willow warblers, and whitethroats, while green woodpeckers can be heard drumming in the trees. During autumn and winter, buzzards and red kites circle overhead, and roe deer can sometimes be spotted in the woods.

Visitors can explore the reserve via an unsurfaced circular path with kissing gates and a small wooden footbridge crossing a dyke. The rest of the reserve is mostly flat but uneven in places, with numerous rabbit burrows, so caution is advised. There are no benches or bird hides.

There is no designated car park at the reserve, but parking is available on a nearby lane. A small café is located nearby, with additional facilities, including public toilets, available 3.5 miles away in Pocklington.

Please note, dogs are welcome on the reserve, but must be kept on a lead at all times.