Two lakes in Wolvercote which were left to a preservation group in a will are to be opened to the public for the first time today.

The lakes, which sit close to the railway bridge in the village, have been left to the Oxford Preservation Trust by one of its supporters, Vivian Kirk.

Members of the trust want local people to enjoy the area and are developing plans to create a nature conservation site.

The public will have an early chance to visit the lakes today between 2pm and 4pm.

Trust staff will be on hand to explain conservation ideas and to describe early discoveries of the wildlife found in and around the lakes.

They will also seek local people’s views on how to ensure the best future use of the lakes.

Trust director Debbie Dance said: “We are delighted by our newest acquisition and hope lots of people will come and see the lakes on our open day.

“There is clearly a lot of work for us to do there but we are keen to maximise the conservation potential of the site and do hope that the locals will want to engage in the work that we are doing.”