A delightful oak woodland, especially in spring and early summer when lots of migrating birds come to breed at the reserve, including pied flycatcher, redstart pictured and wood warbler. There are a wide variety of butterflies to spot too.

In winter, redwings, fieldfares and winter finches are regular visitors. There's a fascinating nature trail here so the reserve is a good place for people of all ages to get closer to nature, although the footpaths are steep in places.

Opening times

Reserve open daily (except Christmas Day), 9 am to 9 pm or dusk (last entry two hours before closing); information centre open weekdays and weekends during busy periods, closes at 5 pm (closed Christmas Day). The public rights of way are open at all times.

Situated on the southern edge of the Staffordshire Moorlands, is the oldest RSPB reserve in the Midlands. It opened in 1962 when it was home to the last breeding pair of sparrowhawks in Staffordshire. The nature reserve covers 100 hectares of mixed broadleaved woodland and grassland in a steep sided valley draining into the upper Trent.

The reserve is an important site for both upland and lowland woodland birds, in particular pied flycatcher, redstart (main picture) , willow tit and wood warbler. Coombes Valley is designated as a Sites of Special Scientific Interest and is protected under law.

The reserve has a rich documented history. Medieval documents refer to Coombes Valley, describing it as a desolate waste. There are ghost stories and tales of a battle in the valley and the wood names reflect this, with both Ghost Ridge and Spiritholes Wood. The field system has long been farmed and large areas of the reserve remain as they would have been hundreds of years ago.

Inset picture: Malcolm Neal 

We highly recommend the publications below to compliment your visit to this Region.

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