Hunter's Wood Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Hunter's Wood Nature Reserve is a nature reserve
managed by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust
.
Originally planted in 1999, Hunter’s Wood is a relatively new piece of woodland. When the Cheshire Wildlife Trust purchased the site it was still rough pasture; since then they have planted thousands of saplings of various native trees. There are small fragments of ancient woodland
to west, north and east of the site, including the Cheshire Wildlife Trust's own Warburton’s Wood nature reserve. As the trees develop at Hunter’s Wood they will form a living corridor between these fragments, allowing woodland creatures to move between them.The trust hopes that the specialist plants normally only found in ancient woodlands will gradually colonise Hunter’s Wood, although this may take many years. The stands of young trees are separated by wide open glades, and a newly created pond looks as if has been there for decades. Visitors can enjoy easy walking, with views across the River Weaver
, and a stroll through Hunter’s Wood can be combined with a visit to the adjacent Warburton’s Wood.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
managed by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust
Cheshire Wildlife Trust
The Cheshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Cheshire and parts of the counties of Greater Manchester and Merseyside, England...
.
Originally planted in 1999, Hunter’s Wood is a relatively new piece of woodland. When the Cheshire Wildlife Trust purchased the site it was still rough pasture; since then they have planted thousands of saplings of various native trees. There are small fragments of ancient woodland
Ancient woodland
Ancient woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales . Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally...
to west, north and east of the site, including the Cheshire Wildlife Trust's own Warburton’s Wood nature reserve. As the trees develop at Hunter’s Wood they will form a living corridor between these fragments, allowing woodland creatures to move between them.The trust hopes that the specialist plants normally only found in ancient woodlands will gradually colonise Hunter’s Wood, although this may take many years. The stands of young trees are separated by wide open glades, and a newly created pond looks as if has been there for decades. Visitors can enjoy easy walking, with views across the River Weaver
River Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1720 and the work, which included eleven locks, was completed in 1732...
, and a stroll through Hunter’s Wood can be combined with a visit to the adjacent Warburton’s Wood.