Cotterill Clough Nature Reserve
| Cotterill Clough Nature Reserve | |
|---|---|
  Cotterill Clough NR within Greater Manchester | |
| Type | Nature reserve and SSSI |
| Location | near Manchester Airport |
| OS grid | SJ805839 |
| Coordinates | 53°21′00″N 2°17′28″W / 53.3501°N 2.2911°WCoordinates: 53°21′00″N 2°17′28″W / 53.3501°N 2.2911°W |
| Area | 5.6 hectares (14 acres)[1] |
| Elevation | 50m[2] |
| Operated by | Cheshire Wildlife Trust |
| Open | any reasonable time |
Cotterill Clough is a 5.6-hectare (14-acre) nature reserve near Manchester Airport. It is managed by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust and lies within a larger Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).[3] The Cotterill Brook, which flows through the clough, is a tributary of the River Bollin. The reserve was purchased in 1934 by public subscription as a memorial to T. A. Coward (1867–1933), a famous Cheshire naturalist.[1]
Notability and key species
The SSSI citation describes the site as "the most diverse clough woodland on base rich soils in Greater Manchester."[3]
The ground flora is dominated by common woodland plants such as Wild Garlic Allium ursinum, Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and Yellow Archangel Lamium galeobdolon,[1] but less common species that also occur include Goldilocks Ranunculus auricomus, Alternate-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium alternifolium, Wood Vetch Vicia sylvatica, Common Toothwort Lathraea squamaria, Giant Bellflower Campanula latifolia, Common Twayblade Neottia ovata, Hard Shield Fern Polystichum aculeatum and Thin-spiked Wood Sedge Carex strigosa.[3]
Invertebrates include 79 species of spider, and a rare beetle Dropephylla grandiloqua.[3]
References
- 1 2 3 "Cotterill Clough". Cheshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ↑ Manchester & Salford (Map). 1:25000. Explorer Series. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 "Cotteril Clough: SSSI citation" (PDF). Natural England. 1965. Retrieved 11 July 2012.