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bridge. Within the site is the restored gamekeeper's hut. This contains display materials and information brochures. Also in the site, near to the area of the boat house is an inscribed stone. The inscription reads "XRC: 63", and it has been suggested that it is a date stone, giving a date of 1633.
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In
February 1990 the decoy was damaged when it was flooded with salt water caused by the combination of a high tide and a north-westerly gale. Trees and other wildlife were killed. Following this, in June and August the central pond was dredged, and in March 1991 the moat was dredged, placing the
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The precise date of the construction of the duck decoy is not known, but there is evidence that it was built in the 17th century. Records show that in 1754 it was repaired and improved by its owner at that time, Colonel J. Blackburne. The decoy was part of the estate of Hale Hall, which had
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The reserve covers an area of 3,084 hectares. The decoy consists of a central pond with five narrowing arms (known as pipes) radiating outward, giving it the shape of a pentagon. Between the pipes is woodland, and the whole area is surrounded by a moat 16 feet wide, which is crossed by a swing
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been owned by the
Ireland Blackburne family since the 1600s. In the 1930s the estate was bought by the Fleetwood-Hesketh family, who still own it, but the decoy was allowed to deteriorate. In 1975 restoration of the site began, and it became a local nature reserve. The lease was taken over by
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to restore the gamekeeper's hut to provide further information facilities for visitors. In 2010 the
Council disbanded the Ranger service, and the management of the decoy passed to the Parks and Open Spaces department, supported by the Friends of Pickerings Pasture. In December 2013 there was
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The duck decoy is managed by a group of volunteers called The
Friends of Pickerings Pasture and Hale Duck Decoy. The site is a designated Scheduled Ancient Monument. The woodland on the site is subject to a Tree Preservation Order, and the site and
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another high tide coinciding with a north-westerly gate, and it was feared that there would be another serious flood. In the event, although the decoy had been breached, there was only minimal flooding and damage.
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Site of
Special Scientific Interest. Guided walks for the general public are organised by arrangement with the Friends of Pickerings Pasture. In November 2018 the site was placed on Historic England's
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in 2000, and it was run by their Ranger service. In 2004 a group of volunteers, the
Friends of Pickerings Pasture, was awarded a
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One of the pipes of the decoy showing hoops covered with netting and the arrangement of the screens
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mud on its banks to increase their height. The lease of the decoy was taken over by
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310:"Duck decoy pond 200m south east of Marsh Bridge, Hale, Halton (1014717)"
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384:"'Neglected' duck decoy pond placed on Heritage at Risk list"
259:"Tidal surge and flooding on Hale Marsh and Hale Duck Decoy"
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List of
Scheduled Monuments in Cheshire (post-1539)
463:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cheshire
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16:Waterfowl trap and nature reserve in England
473:Structures on the Heritage at Risk register
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121:list and was described as "neglected".
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193:"The Restoration of Hale Duck Decoy"
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58:Site of Special Scientific Interest
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315:National Heritage List for England
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468:Local Nature Reserves in Cheshire
362:"Hale Duck Decoy NR Guided Walks"
338:"Mersey Estuary (SSSI citation)"
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453:Tourist attractions in Cheshire
448:Scheduled monuments in Cheshire
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364:. Friends of Pickerings Pasture
286:. Friends of Pickerings Pasture
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237:"Dredging the pond and moat"
171:"History of Hale Duck Decoy"
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386:. BBC News. 8 November 2018
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54:Scheduled Ancient Monument
52:, England. The site is a
112:around it is part of the
336:Natural England (1985).
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284:"About Hale Duck Decoy"
75:Cheshire County Council
87:Heritage Lottery grant
83:Halton Borough Council
62:Halton Borough Council
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40:near the village of
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215:"The Flood"
94:Description
437:Categories
407:53°20′19″N
153:References
110:salt marsh
34:duck decoy
410:2°47′07″W
390:4 January
346:4 January
125:See also
50:Cheshire
368:25 June
321:25 June
290:25 June
265:25 June
243:25 June
221:25 June
199:25 June
177:25 June
68:History
443:Decoys
56:and a
46:Halton
341:(PDF)
103:Today
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370:2014
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42:Hale
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