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Breary Marsh Nature Reserve is the best remaining example of a wet valley alder wood in West Yorkshire, a habitat which was once common along the streams and river valleys in the county. Much of the nature reserve is also a site of special scientific interest, reflecting its importance for nature conservation.
Breary Marsh is next to the A660 Otley Road and the car park for Golden Acre Park. A network of footpaths and bridleways provides access throughout the site, and the swampy alder wood, which is the rarest of the site’s habitats, can be enjoyed from a boardwalk.
The different habitats at Breary Marsh reflect differences in ground level, and range from waterlogged to drier habitats where the ground rises. ‘Carr’ is the name given to woodland on wet or waterlogged ground, and is often dominated by alder. Beneath the trees, pools of standing water are dotted with large clumps of greater tussock sedge. These tussocks are home to some of the increasingly scarce insects which are to be found at Breary Marsh.