Share

Celebrating two years of making the Staffordshire Moorlands wilder

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust (SWT) is heralding the hard work and success of staff and volunteers at 11 local authority owned wildlife sites in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Sites include the popular family friendly country parks at Ladderedge and Biddulph Grange, along with the wilder Wetley Moor Common and smaller Cecily Brook in Cheadle. They’re all owned by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC).

It’s been two years since the charity took on management and care of these spaces and a lot has happened in that time.

Some of the team’s highlights include:

  • Establishing two new volunteer work parties for the Biddulph area and also Wetley Moor Common
  • Volunteer roles expanded with extra training for existing groups, enabling them to be more involved in managing the nature reserves
  • Numerous improvements to nature reserve infrastructure - pathways resurfaced, new board walks and steps installed, all improving overall visitor experience
  • Various activities and events organised to encourage local people to enjoy the wildlife on their doorstep (see end of page for upcoming events).

Volunteers have also contributed to various habitat tasks, including the constant fight against invasive species such as Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed which threaten to choke waterways and overpower native flora and fauna if left unchecked.

For example, at Ladderedge County Park a total of 17 volunteers gave a total of 364 hours of their time working on projects in the park during 2024. They helped with woodland management and spent hours pulling balsam and ragwort, along with various repair and maintenance tasks.

A group of people work on a steep hillside installing new fencing - two of them walk up the hill unreeling barb wire

Volunteers installing new fencing at Ladderedge Country Park - photo by Mark Preece, SWT

A new wooden bridge & board walk winds through a wooded valley creating an inviting pathway

New boardwalk & bridge at Ladderedge Country Park - photo by Mark Preece, SWT

New wooden steps and handrail winding uphill through a steep woodland track

New steps at Ladderedge Country Park - photo by Mark Preece, SWT

A group of people work on a wooded hillside installing new fencing

Volunteers installing new fencing at Ladderedge Country Park - photo by Mark Preece, SWT

A huge thank you to all volunteers, old and new, for getting stuck in to help with various tasks across these special places. We really couldn’t have achieved so much without them generously giving up their time. 2024 was a hard year given the warm wet weather which created difficult ground conditions and an upsurge of growth from invasive plants.

These places are jewels in the crown of the Staffordshire Moorlands and much loved by the local communities they serve, so it’s a real privilege to care for them. As experts in habitat restoration, we’re ideally placed to enhance these sites so they’re the very best they can be to support struggling wildlife.

With many species facing huge declines in numbers we need to act or we stand to lose them. For example, Cecily Brook is one of the county’s last remaining strongholds for water voles. They’ve suffered a 94% decline since the 1970s due to habitat loss and fragmentation, along with competition and predation by invasive species. Willow tits are another struggling species we need to cater for, making sure there is enough willow woodland to give them space to successfully breed.
Jeff Sim, Head of Nature Reserves and Species Recovery at SWT
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust
A wooden boardwalk being laid up a muddy grassy hill by a woodland

Biddulph Grange Country Park new boardwalk by Will Walklett

Volunteers work to restore a pond, using tools to create a graduated bank

Pond restoration at Biddulph Grange Country Park - photo by Will Walklett, SWT

A group of volunteers in an overgrown area pulling invasive weeds from the ground

Biddulph Grange Country Park volunteers clearing Himalayan balsam - photo by Will Walklett, SWT

A newly laid pathway winds into the far distance through a wooded area

Improved pathway at Biddulph Valley Way Whitemore local nature reserve

It’s fantastic to see all the great work that the Wildlife Trust and the volunteers are doing to protect and enhance these sites which are so important to everyone in the Moorlands.

“This partnership approach to caring for these special places is clearly delivering results and will ensure that they support our plans to develop our natural and green spaces and promote wildlife recovery. Congratulations to all involved and please do get in touch with the team if you’d like to volunteer to help look after these sites.
Councillor Matt Swindlehurst, Cabinet member for Leisure and Tourism
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
A broken old wooden board walk sinks into the ground

Old boardwalk at Hoftons Cross nature reserve - photo by Mark Preece, SWT

A new boardwalk over muddy ground connects two sets of steps down/up a hill. Two shadows of people are cast onto the hill to the left of the boardwalk.

New boardwalk at Hoftons Cross nature reserve - photo by Mark Preece, SWT

The Trust’s conservation experts have created long-term management plans which set out what work will take place over the coming years to further enhance each place for wildlife and visitors seeking peaceful time out in nature.

More volunteers are needed for Wetley Moor Common. The group meets every Wednesday from 10am until 2.30pm to carry out tasks including clearing invasive tree scrub, Himalayan balsam and rhododendron, along with fence and pathway maintenance. Anyone interested in giving volunteering a try is encouraged to register their interest here:

Wetley Moor Common - Practical Conservation Volunteer | Staffordshire Wildlife Trust

Upcoming events can be booked online at Events | Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and include:
  • Hear all about SWT’s work at these sites at the Leek Local Group February talk, St Paul’s Church, Novi Lane, Leek – Wednesday 12 February, 7.30pm
  • Roving Rangers Walk at Wetley Moor Common – Saturday 15 February, 10.30am - 12.30pm
  • AIMING HIGH Wildfamilies campfire cooking at Ladderedge Country Park – Monday 17 February, 10.30am - 12.30pm
  • Wildfamiles Wildplay drop-in session at Ladderedge Country Park – Monday 17 February, 1.30pm - 3.30pm
  • Wildfamiles Wildplay drop-in session at Biddulph Grange Country Park – Tuesday 18 February, 11am - 1pm
  • AIMING HIGH Wildfamiles at Palm Brook (adjacent to Cecily Brook), Cheadle – Wednesday 19 February, 10.30am - 12.30pm

Related news