Moor Piece Nature Reserve

A pied flycatcher sitting on a tree branch in a woodland

Mark Hamblin/2020VISION

A redstart sitting on a tree branch and singing surrounded by new tree buds

Mark Hamblin/2020VISION

Pied flycatchers and sika deer roam this unique woodland on the edge of the Hodder Valley.

Location

Rabbit Lane,
North of Bashall Eaves
Clitheroe
Lancashire
BB7 3NB

OS Map Reference

SD 692 446
A static map of Moor Piece Nature Reserve

Know before you go

Size
28 hectares

Walking trails

Care must be taken when walking on this reserve - there are no footpaths or trails. Please contact the Wildlife Trust.

Access

No general access due to the sensitive habitat and inaccessibility. Contact the Reserve Manager for more information.

Ticks are present on the reserve in large numbers.

Dogs

No dogs permitted

When to visit

Opening times

Restricted.

Best time to visit

Spring to Summer

About the reserve

High up on the East Lancashire moors you’ll find a real hidden gem. Moor Piece Nature Reserve combines birch, conifer and Scots pine woodland with a patch of peat bog that has been naturally self-seeded by the birch. Though this area is no longer a wide-open space, sphagnum moss, bog asphodel and even cranberry still thrive amidst the trees and tussocks of purple moor-grass.

Birders will relish the chance to spot more than 80 species at Moor Piece; 38 of which breed here annually. Redpolls, tree pipits and even crossbills have been spotted, but the stars of the show are undoubtedly the breeding pairs of pied flycatcher and redstart.

Stroll to the south of Rabbit Lane and you’ll find swathes of mighty oak and alder trees where roe and sika deer roam. Though beautiful, their grazing can halt the natural regeneration of the woodland, which is where our volunteers come in. By installing deer exclusion fencing and thinning the vegetation, leaving the deadwood to disrupt the deer’s movements, we are gradually seeing Moor Piece grow into a truly spectacular nature reserve.

Contact us

Kim Coverdale
Contact number: 07841 996722