McIlroy Park

McIlroy Park is a 12 ha Local Nature Reserve in Tilehurst, a suburb of Reading in Berkshire. It is owned and managed by Reading Borough Council. Along with Blundells Copse and Lousehill Copse it is part of West Reading Woodlands.

Geography and site
McIlroy Park is located on a steep hill and features a large species-rich grassland field and a large block of mixed deciduous woodland. There are two ancient sunken paths that pass through the woodland. There are old chalk pits in the west woodland area from the old clay extraction industry and a possible Saxon mound on its eastern edge.

McIlroy Park abuts, and is contiguous with another local nature reserve called Round Copse.

History
The land for the reservation was donated by William Mcilroy, who owned a department store in Reading, and was mayor of the town.

In 1992 site was designated a local nature reserve.

Fauna
The site has the following fauna:

Birds

 * Red kite
 * Common buzzard
 * Common kestrel
 * Common starling
 * Common whitethroat
 * Fieldfare
 * European green woodpecker
 * Dunnock
 * House sparrow
 * Mistle thrush
 * Redwing
 * Song thrush
 * Willow warbler
 * Eurasian sparrowhawk
 * Eurasian jay

Invertebrates

 * Cinnabar moth
 * Bombus ruderarius
 * Scotopteryx chenopodiata
 * Gatekeeper
 * Holly blue
 * Meadow brown
 * Lycaena phlaeas
 * Speckled wood

Flora
The site has the following flora:

Trees

 * Acer campestre
 * Quercus robur
 * Fraxinus
 * Hazel
 * Ilex aquifolium
 * Prunus avium

Plants

 * Hyacinthoides non-scripta
 * Catnip
 * Mercurialis perennis
 * Holcus mollis
 * Melica uniflora
 * Milium effusum
 * Luzula pilosa
 * Moehringia trinervia
 * Calluna
 * Ruscus aculeatus

Fungi

 * Xylaria polymorpha