About the reserve

Greenbooth Nature Reserve is located in a secluded part of the Peak District National Park, between Whaley Bridge, Buxton and Rainow. Surrounded by Local Wildlife Sites to the north and west and the Goyt Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest to the east, Greenbooth Nature Reserve sits in the heart of a landscape peppered with pockets of acid grassland, heathland and clough woodland.

Our plans for the reserve will enable us to create another jewel in this landscape, providing a haven for wildlife to thrive.

Now that we’ve bought the site, we’re busy putting together a restoration plan to safeguard its future as a refuge for wildlife. Our plan includes: 

• Enhancing the grassland mosaic for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. 
• Creating features that benefit waders and ground nesting birds, like curlew and lapwing which are known to breed close to the site. 
• Creating woodland and scattered scrub along the steeper valley sides, providing food and shelter for mammals and birds, like tawny owls.  
•  Restoring field boundaries to ensure the character of the landscape is preserved.  
• Continuing to work in partnership with neighbouring farmers and landowners to further our work in our Pennine Fringe living landscape.  
   

Charlotte Harris, CEO of Cheshire Wildlife Trust said:

“I visited the site back in June 2023.  We drove into the hills of the Pennine Fringe and along a long winding track. Arriving at what will be Greenbooth Nature Reserve, we followed the bank of a winding stream up on to the acid grassland. Down in the valley to our left we could see patches of wet woodland and overhead we could hear linnet and willow warbler singing.   

Carrying on up we reached the highest part of the site with views down through the Tod Brook Valley with its pockets of ancient woodland and craggy outcrops.  Overhead, curlews were calling and a brown hare scampered off towards the gorse scrub that we think may once have been heathland.  Beneath our feet there were signs that acid grassland and upland hay meadow could be restored with small heath butterflies and bees already making good use of the abundant birds-foot trefoil, lady’s bedstraw, tormentil, and field pansy. 

It's an absolutely lovely site. Thank you so much for making this possible with your generous support”