Amwell Quarry

{{Short description|Nature reserve in Hertfordshire, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

{{Infobox SSSI

|image=Amwell Quarry 16.JPG

|name=Amwell Quarry

|aos=Hertfordshire

|interest=Biological

|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|TL377129}}

|area=37.0 hectares

|notifydate=1999

|map=[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%272000384%27 Magic Map]

}}

Amwell Quarry or Amwell Nature Reserve is a 37 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Great Amwell in Hertfordshire. The planning authority is East Hertfordshire District Council.{{cite web|url= http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/2000384.pdf|title=Amwell Quarry citation|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate=19 December 2014}}{{cite web|url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%272000384%27|title=Map of Amwell Quarry|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate= 19 December 2014}} It is also part of the Lee Valley Ramsar Site and Special Protection Area, and is owned and managed by the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust.{{cite web|url=http://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/en/content/cms/nature/nature-reserve/amwell-nature-reserve/|title=Amwell Nature Reserve|publisher= Lee Valley Regional Park Authority |year=2014|accessdate= 19 December 2014}}{{cite web|title=Lee Valley|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1037|publisher=Ramsar Sites Information Service|accessdate= 19 December 2014}}

The site is a former gravel pit, which has been restored to become a wetland nature reserve with two lakes, Great Hardmead Lake and

Hollycross Lake. It is internationally important for wintering wildfowl, and is Britain's most important site for dragonflies. It also has large communities of damselflies and breeding birds. Plants include marsh dock and hairlike pondweed, both nationally rare. Amwell has a quarter of all British species of molluscs.{{cite web|url=http://www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/amwell|title=Amwell|publisher=Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust|accessdate=19 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419222334/http://www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/Amwell|archive-date=2015-04-19|url-status=dead}}

There is access from Amwell Lane and the site is open at all times.