About the reserve

The special interest of this reserve lies in the basin mires, which contain several species of sphagnum moss, as well as round-leaved sundew, cranberry, bogbean and marsh cinquefoil.  There has been much debate over how and when the basin mires were formed. They could have been carved by ice at the end of the last ice age or they could be the remnants of river meanders.  These intriguing geological features are preserved by regularly pulling and cutting willow and birch saplings, because if these were allowed to develop the mires would gradually dry out and the associated flora and fauna lost.  

The dry heathy pastures contain a mixture of plants including common valerian, petty whin, dyer's greenweed, devil's-bit scabious, heather, cross-leaved heath and marsh pennywort.  Scrub is an important wildlife habitat providing nectar, seeds, fruit, shelter and nest sites for insects, mammals and birds.  The long-tailed tit, blackcap and garden warbler birds depend on this habitat to survive.

Enjoy a lovely display of butterflies when the sun is shining. These include small-pearl bordered fritillary, common blue, orange-tip and meadow brown.