Risley Moss
Risley Moss is an area of peat bog situated near
It covers an area of 210.5 acres (85.2 ha) and is one of the last remaining fragments of the raised bogs that once covered large areas of South Lancashire and North Cheshire.History
Natural depressions in the
Risley Moss is one of only two mosses in
Risley Moss was first mentioned in the
It was the former site of a large Royal Ordnance Factory. Today, it is managed by Cheshire County Council as a country park and an educational nature reserve. It was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1986.[1] Risley Moss, together with Astley and Bedford Mosses and Holcroft Moss, is also a European Union designated Special Area of Conservation, known as Manchester Mosses.[7]
Features
The main feature of Risley Moss is the large peat bog flats, overlooked by two observation points: a large watchtower, ideal for bird watching, and a smaller lookout. These points have additional information inside relating to bird species and landscape layouts. The Moss also has several smaller huts located inside the forested area for bird watching and nature enthusiasts.
Tours across the flats and nature reserve are available from the main information centre and are undertaken by local rangers.
In addition to the natural features and landscape, there are several sculptures around the site, usually with a natural theme.
Facilities
There is a visitor centre, countryside walks, bird hides and picnic benches.
References
- ^ a b c "Risley Moss citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England.
- ^ "Map of Risley Moss". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England.
- ^ "Risley Moss". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England.
- ^ "Map of Risley Moss". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England.
- ^ "Risley Moss Local Nature Reserve". Warrington Borough Council. Archived from the original on 24 May 2009. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Manchester Mosses". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 11 November 2007.