Picnic tables

Whitehead Hall Meadows boasts 5.58 hectares of wetland meadows, outlying wooded areas and a central pond near to the iconic Lancashire Mining Museum [hyperlink LANCASHIRE MINING MUSEUM – At Astley Green]

Whitehead Hall Meadows was part of Astley Colliery and was used as a recreation area for the villagers, however during World War Two it accommodated the colliery spoil. Since then wetland, woodlands and grasslands have developed to form valuable wildlife habitats. Orchids thrive here including northern marsh, southern marsh, leopard...

Wigan Flashes is the most north westerly of the clusters of sites that is part of the Flashes of Wigan and Leigh National Nature Reserve (NNR). It hosts 10km of paths and a chance to explore on the Leeds Liverpool Canal (Leigh Branch) running through the site.

Wigan Flashes boasts a mosaic of wetland habitats proving the perfect place for open water, reedbeds, wildflower meadows and woodland trails. Parts of Ince Moss has Site for Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) status. Reedbeds hide rare wildlife including the skulking water rail who squeals like a piglet, the beautifully...

Three Sisters is a family-friendly visitors attraction where the Carbon Landscape story is brought to life.

Three Sisters Access for all comprises 3km wheelchair accessible paths co-produced with local groups with additional needs.

The Easter Egg Treasure Hunt is always a highlight with egg rolling down Arena Hill, one of the former coal spoil heaps.

A family-friendly site to enjoy:

• Ducks on the lake, birds at the feeding station and dragonflies over the wetlands.
• Wildlife rubbings trail [hyperlink
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This suburban site is a delightful mosaic of mixed woodland, meadows, peat bog and ponds. It supports an amazing variety of plants and wildlife. Its network of accessible paths allows you to enjoy woodland and waterside walks, and some stunning views from Pestfurlong Hill. On a clear day you can see as far as the West Pennine Moors. 

Gorse Covert Mounds is also home to Pestfurlong Moss, a remnant of the Manchester Mosses that once covered the whole area.  This ecologically important habitat is a Lowland Raised Peat Bog, which is home to a variety of Sphagnum Mosses, plants such as...

One of the few remaining water meadows, Paddington Meadows also contains some of the oldest examples of hawthorn hedge boundaries in Cheshire.  Paddington Meadows is part of the New Cut Trail [hyperlink New Cut heritage and ecology trail | warrington.gov.uk] and provides a clear stepping stone to the internationally important Woolston Eyes which is directly across the River Mersey. The fields were gifted to Warrington Council in 1995 on the condition that they were managed as a nature reserve. 

Wildlife...

Once a brick clay quarry, Rixton Claypits [hyperlink Rixton Claypits local nature reserve | warrington.gov.uk] is thriving with wildlife and designated as internationally important with a Special Area for Conservation (SAC). This ex-industrial nature reserve boasts breeding great crested newts, known fondly as “Newtopia” within the ponds network and rich wildflowers in this undulating landscape. Explore the quiet tranquillity and feed your curiosity with information boards, viewing platforms, bridges and...