Ancient woodland reserve managed by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.Dipper and Grey Wagtail are present on Cotton Brook flowing through the heart of the reserve, which is a diverse range of habitats, from steep sided woodland valleys to flower rich grasslands. Ponds, scrub and boggy areas along with the stream itself all add to the wildlife value of the reserve.In summer listen for the 'spinning coin' call of the wood warbler (main picture).

One of the main reasons Cotton Dell is so good for wildlife is due to the wide range of habitats found on the reserve. Look carefully and you'll see that different plants have colonised the different areas of the reserve. These areas also support different insects.

Small boggy pools, even temporary ones, can provide homes to opportunistic insects, but one of the most easily identifiable is the Green Tiger Beetle which can be seen on the bare sandy patches in the cattle grazed pastures

Common woodland birds including all three British Woodpeckers, spotted flycatcher.

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

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