Wellesley Conservation Council-Sanctuaries

Guernsey Sanctuary

Sabrina Lake

Guernsey Sanctuary on Sabrina Lake was donated by Mr. and Mrs. William G. Guernsey in 1961. The Guernsey's later added to their initial gift of 13 acres for a total of 25 acres. At one time this was part of the fabled Baker Estate with the man-made Sabrina Lake as a recreational feature, complete with a miniature side-wheeler carrying guests on tours around the lake. The sanctuary includes a pine grove, a deciduous woodland, a vernal pond, an island, a swamp and numerous wildflowers, ferns and club mosses. Be sure to stop at the William Guernsey Memorial Bench and enjoy the view of Sabrina Lake. Guernsey Sanctuary is one of the Woodland Trails in the Wellesley Trail System and the trail head is located off of Winding River Rd. Click here for map of Guernsey Sanctuary.

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Susan Lee Memorial Sanctuary

The Susan Lee Memorial Sanctuary was given in memory of the mother of Mrs. Allen N. Bennett, Jr in 1964. It consists of 8 acres divided into two parts by Livingston Road. The larger eastern part is adjacent to the Town's Guernsey Path. The western part lies between Livingston Rd. and the Charles River on either side of the Wellesley Trails' Guernsey Path and provides a frontage along the banks of the Charles River. The Lee family formerly owned much of the land in this area. Click here for a map of the Susan Lee Memorial Sanctuary. To find out the history of the Susan Lee Sanctuary click here.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

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Heyl Sanctuary
The Heyl Gift was donated by Bernard Heyl, a Wellesley College professor in 1965. This 1.4 acres woodland is located at the southeastern corner of Livingston Rd. and Ridge Hill Farm Rd. and is located across from Dr. Heyl's former home on Livingston Road. There are no trails through this sanctuary. Click here for a map of the the Heyl Sanctuary. top

Pickle Point

Pickle Point seen from Pine Point

The Welleslley Conservation purchased Pickle Point in March 1960 from the Norumbega Boy Scouts. Pickle Point is a 500 x 50 foot promontory jutting into the northwest side of Morses Pond just west of Route 9. It is an esker which is a gravel ridge deposited by a glacier. On this three acre peninsula there are a surprising variety of trees and many spring wildflowers. To reach Pickle Point you walk west along the Cochituate Path at the point where it crosses Russell Rd. You will have views of Morses Pond on your left. Pickle Point is part of the Wellesley Trails' Crosstown Trail . Click here for a map of Pickle Point.

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Coveside Bank Sanctuary

Coveside Bank Sanctuary is located between #9 and #17 Stonecleve Rd and was a gift of the Pine Ridge Neighborhood Association in 1963. The neighborhood group wished to preserve a narrow strip on the bank leading to Morses Pond to provide youngsters with public access to the cove where they could fish and launch their rafts. The Council made this possible by accepting their donations and using the money to purchase this property. Today, the bank leading to Morses Pond is very steep and does not allow safe access to the pond but it is a beautiful open space in this neighborhood. Click here for a map of Coveside Bank Sanctuary.

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Cronk's Rocky Woodland

Pink Lady's-slippers

Cronk's Rocky Woodland was given to the Council in 1977 by Gertrude Cronk in memory of Corydon P. Cronk. This woodland preserve of native wildflowers was next to their home at 10 Crown Ridge Road and had been in their possession for nearly thirty years. Cronk's Rocky Woodland is now fenced with a gate at the entrance on Crown Ridge Road and includes a rustic cabin and a marked nature trail. An experienced wildflower garderner maintains the garden and the Wellesley Garden Club participates in the annual clean-up. Some of the beautiful wildflowers found there are Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Pink Lady's-slippers, Jacob's Ladder, Yellow Trout Lily, Black Cohash and many other varieties. Click here for a map of Cronk's Rocky Woodlands.

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Cold Spring Brook Sanctuary

Cold Spring Brook Sanctuary which was acquired in 1982 is along Route 9 between Oak and School Streets. Cold Spring Brook eventually flows into the Charles River. This property serves as a green buffer along a busy highway. Click here for a map of Cold Spring Brook Sanctuary.

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Lienau Memorial Trail

The Lienau Trail is located in Weston and was purchased in 1974 with money given in memory of George L. Lienau who was active in the early years of the Council and was a charter member of the Natural Resources Commission. The Town of Wellesley wanted to purchase land owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but a small strip of this property was located in Weston. Since a town may not own land in another community but a land trust may, the Council acquired this one-acre strip that was over Wellesley's border in Weston, allowing the Carisbrooke Reservation to be added to the Town's conservation lands. The Carisbrooke Reservation Trail is located off of Glenbrook Rd. The Lienau Trail also connects with the Town of Weston Trail System. Click here for a map of the Lienau Trail.

Lienau Memorial Trail in
Carisbrooke Reservation

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A Patch of Woods

A Patch of Woods on Glen Road was given in memory of Sabra and Russell Sanders by their families in 1964. It was Mrs. Sanders' wish that this mixed woodland across the brook from their former home be preserved in its natural state. There is a short path through oak and birch trees and down an incline to Cold Stream Brook which flows from the Carisbrooke Reservation to Wight Pond. This sanctuary provides a small natural area buffer in a residential neighborhood. Click here for a map of A Patch of Woods.

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Walker Woods

Walker Woods was a gift from Mary Walker in 1992. This 1 1/2 acre parcel is a red maple wetlands swamp bordered by the Sudbury River Aqueduct and the town-owned land used by the Recycling and Disposal Facility. There are no walking trails on this property. Click here for a map of Walker Woods.

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Easements

The Council holds three conservation easements, one by Lake Waban, one by the Charles River and one off Pembroke Road. The Lake Waban Easement is a 5 acre area along Lake Waban and Pond Road. The land is part of the private land at 99 Pond Road. The Council shares this easement with Wellesley College. There is no public access to this easement.

The Charles River Easement is a 50 foot wide by 727 foot long strip along the Charles River. It is just west of Waban Arches and is across the river from Elm Bank. This steep hillside is one of the most remote and wild sections of Wellesley. You can reach it by walking west along the Sudbury Aqueduct from the Guernsey Path or Dover Road. This is the only easement which grants the WCC the right to use the area at any time for "natural science study' and particularly for "bird watching". The land is owned by Wellesley College.

The Pembroke Road Easement is a 3.5 acre wooded area between #9 and #17 Pembroke Road. It is privately owned land. There is no public access to this easement.

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Map
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