Lymm Dam
Welcome | How to Find Us | How to Contact Us | Events | History | Leaflets/Guides
Map | Horse Riding | Angling | Geology | Wildlife | Cyclist's Code | Dog Owners
Welcome to Lymm Dam
Lymm Dam is an area of great beauty and tranquillity. Its woodlands and meadows are teeming with wildlife and the site’s history gives it a unique character. Whether you enjoy horse riding, angling, bird watching, walking or just relaxing in beautiful surroundings, Lymm Dam makes a great place for a day out.
How to find us
The Dam is situated south of Lymm village on the A56.
Arriva No’s 37 and 38 and Warrington Borough Transport No’s 5 and 6. For more details contact Warrington Borough Transport on 01925 444250
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When you visit Lymm Dam please act responsibly and with consideration for others who are enjoying the area. Please use the litter bins provided and take care not to disturb wildlife or other people.
How to contact us
The Rangers can be contacted by the following methods:
Tel/Fax: 01925 758195
E-mail: rangers@warrington.gov.uk
or at:
Ranger Cabin, Trans Pennine Trail, Off Statham Avenue, Lymm, WA13 9NJ
Lymm Dam events programme
To find out what's on in Warrington, please view the downloadable booklet 
History of Lymm Dam
Information relating to the history of Lymm Dam can be found in the heritage section or follow the Lymm Heritage Trail
Leaflets/guides
The full leaflet/guide is available to download from our publications section (under Environment>Parks).
Map of Lymm Dam
To view a map of this park, please visit the Location Maps section.
Horse riding
Please keep to the permissive bridleway from Crouchley Lane to Crosfield Bridge along the eastern edge of the park.
Angling in Lymm Dam
Angling rights to Longbarn Pool and Lymm Dam are now held by Bay Malton Angling Club. The fishing is considered to be some of the best in the North West, especially for carp and pike.
Day ticket prices are:
Adults (1 rod) - £5.00 per day
Juniors & concessions, (including WBC Leisure Card holders) - £2.50 per day
Additional rod - £2.50 per day
To become a club member or purchase day tickets, phone 01565-872582 or 07702-514626 (mob), or see the Bailiff on the bank.
- Please do not use barbed hooks or braided line.
- Lymm Angling Club only permits the use of keep nets during matches.
- Please treat walkers and cyclists with courtesy and keep footpaths clear.
- Please take great care when casting – fishing line caught in trees and undergrowth around the waters edge can cause enormous problems to wildfowl often leading to a slow and painful death.
- Please put any line you see left around your peg in the litter bins.
Geology of the Dam
Taking a walk round Lymm Dam you will see many areas of exposed sandstone rock. Sandstone is known as a bedrock or sedimentary rock which means that it was formed over millions of years by the compression of layer upon layer of tiny grains of sand. The sandstone around the Dam was created during a period of time called the permo-triassic and is around 250 million years old.
The most interesting rock feature around the Dam is the ‘bluff’ below St Marys church and pictured here.
Two features are important – the deep cuts into the rock known as NYE CHANNELS and the rounded steps in the vertical sections, called SCALLOPS. They were formed around 10,000 years ago when the whole of Cheshire was covered in ice. Melt water containing rock and soil deposits flowed under the ice causing erosion of the sandstone. The nye channels and scallops were created where the water flow was greatest.
These formations at Lymm Dam are very important. They are one of only two examples of this kind currently recorded in the UK; the other is at Thurstaston Hill on the Wirral Peninsular. Whilst we do not want to discourage people from getting close to the rocks here it can easily be damaged, especially if graffiti is carved into the rock face. Please leave the rock as you found it for others to enjoy.
Wildlife at the Dam
The Dam has a varied cross-section of wildlife with magnificent views and something of interest all around the site throughout the seasons.
Woodland and wildflowers
Much of the lake is surrounded by woodland with oak and beech the predominant species. Autumn brings a kaleidoscope of colours as the leaves take on their seasonal hue. In spring, bluebells, wild daffodils and snowdrops carpet the oak woodland amongst pockets of flowers such as wood sorrel and wood anemone.
Other wildflowers easily spotted at the Dam include foxglove and tormentil on banks, meadow cranesbill and yarrow in meadows, red campion and garlic mustard in woodland and marsh marigold and bittercress on the water’s edge.
Birds
Bird life abounds throughout the park. Wrens, tits, robins and blackbirds chatter and squabble all year round. Spend a few minutes on the Wishing Bridge and you may be lucky enough to catch a fleeting glimpse of one of Britain’s most beautiful birds – the kingfisher. The birds rest here and remain all year round hunting for fish from perching posts.
The lake itself is home to several species of wildfowl including mallard, coot, moorhen, tufted duck and great crested grebe. Look out for the grebes intriguing courtship displays in spring. Swallows, swifts and house martins perform acrobatic displays as they hunt over the water and meadows on balmy summer evenings while the woodlands attract nuthatches, treecreepers and woodpeckers.
Bats
Stay out a little on a summer night and you are likely to see bats on the wing. The Dam is recognised as a locally important area for this fascinating group of mammals with both the UK’s largest (noctule) and smallest (pipistrelle) bats feeding over the Dam.
Cyclist's Code
Click the link to view the Cyclist's Code.
Dog owners
Whilst we welcome responsible dog walking, we ask that dog owners please remember that this site is a nature reserve - click the link to view the notice to dog owners.
