Hunter's Wood
Originally planted in 1999, Hunter’s Wood is still an infant on woodland timescales. When the Trust purchased the site it was still rough pasture, and since then we have planted thousands of saplings of a variety of native trees. There are small fragments of ancient woodland to west, north and east of the site, including our own Warburton’s Wood nature reserve. As the trees develop at Hunter’s they will form a living corridor between these fragments, allowing woodland creatures to move between them.
Holcroft Moss
Holcroft Moss is a SSSI designated lowland raised bog and is thought to be the only known example in Cheshire that has never been cut for peat. Commercial peat extraction from the bog’s immediate surroundings has however lowered the water table, and this subsequently damaged the hydrology of Holcroft Moss. The Cheshire Wildlife Trust began work in restoring the bog’s ability to hold water by inserting sheets of plastic piling around the perimeter of the site. Other forms of management include the sensitive grazing of the Trust’s Hebridean sheep, which hel
Hogswood Covert
Hogswood Covert is a damp, broadleaved woodland with several marl pits pools and wet ditches. The canopy is dominated by oak, alder and crack willow, with a locally dense understory of hawthorn, holly and hazel. Tall herbs are associated with the wetter regions of the wood, and dominate the areas where fallen crack willow has opened up the canopy. Common nettle, bramble and bracken are frequent throughout.
Hockenhull Platts
Within easy distance of Chester and Tarvin, Hockenhull Platts nature reserve sits beside the River Gowy and is a great place to enjoy a short stroll along the Mill Trail and over the quaint medieval bridges that traverse the reserve.
Foxes Wood
Eastwood Nature reserve
Eastwood is a hidden gem of a woodland, nestling in a stunning clough valley just a stone's throw from Stalybridge town. The reserve was gifted to the RSPB by a private family (the Cheethams) in 1931 and became the first RSPB reserve, with the charity then leasing it on to Cheshire Wildlife Trust. During 2012, an extensive renovation supported by a Biffa Award grant project took place, introducing a series of new pathways, boardwalks, bridges, steps and wildlife information boards - improving overall access to the best parts of the reserve.
Cotterill Clough
In Cheshire much of our remaining ancient woodland is in narrow, steep-sided valleys known as ‘cloughs’. Cotterill Clough is a one of Cheshire’s best examples, and located to the west of Manchester Airport, this is one of our oldest nature reserves. It was purchased in 1934 from funds raised by public subscription for a memorial to T.A. Coward, a famous Cheshire naturalist (1867-1933).
Compstall Nature Reserve
The reserve, which stretches South East along the banks of the River Etherow, is a wonderful mosaic of threatened habitats including; tall fen, reed swamp, open water, carr woodland and mixed deciduous woodland. With such a variety of habitat comes a fantastic array of wildlife. The ornithological interest warrants a specific mention with dipper, grey wagtail and kingfisher all frequently recorded on site along with water rail, a particularly uncommon species.
Cleaver Heath
Brookheys Covert
Brookheys covert is an ancient semi-natural woodland dominated by oaks, with frequent ash, birch and rowan. Canopy cover varies throughout the reserve, and is at its most dense to the centre of the wood, away from the surrounding farmland. The understory is dense in places and is dominated by hazel, with frequent holly elder. Areas of bare ground and leaf litter are found throughout, and are associated with the most shaded parts of the wood. There are several inter-connected marl pit ponds present throughout the woodland.
