Harston Wood

Harston Wood is a nature reserve of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. It is an ancient woodland, adjacent to the village of Froghall, near Cheadle, Staffordshire, England.

Harston Wood
Looking downhill towards Shirley Brook
Location in Staffordshire
LocationFroghall, near Cheadle, Staffordshire
OS gridSK 034 479
Coordinates53°1′42″N 1°57′3″W
Area3 hectares (7.4 acres)
Operated byStaffordshire Wildlife Trust
Websitewww.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/nature-reserves/harston-wood

Description

The reserve, area 3 hectares (7.4 acres), is part of the Churnet Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is nearly a mile long, on a steep valley side between Shirley Brook (a tributary of the River Churnet) to the north, and the route of a former tramway, now a footpath, from where the entire length of the reserve can be seen. The tramway once carried limestone from quarries about 3 miles (4.8 km) to the east at Caldon Low near Cauldon, to the Caldon Canal at Froghall Wharf.[1]

Existing for over 400 years, the wood is ancient woodland. There are mostly ash trees; other species include hazel, oak and small-leaved lime. It is a habitat for woodpeckers, nuthatches and treecreepers. In waterlogged places there are areas of alder carr.[1]

On the ground of the woodland there is wild garlic, yellow archangel and wood-sorrel. Twayblade and broadleaved helleborine can be seen next to the tramway.[1]

References
  1. "Harston Wood" Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
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