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2 unusual facts about Fairburn Ings RSPB reserve


Fairburn Ings RSPB reserve

The word "ings" (singular "ing") is of Old Norse origin and means "damp or marshy land", a reference to the area being flooded regularly by the River Aire.

Lying alongside the River Aire, the 286 hectare site includes a large loch and a number of smaller water bodies; the area has been the scene of industrial and mining operations for 150 years, and all the water bodies are the result of subsidence of former coal-mine workings, up to half a kilometre underground, providing habitats for wildfowl and many other birds.



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