Wigpool

Wigpool is a 7.5-hectare nature reserve in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. It lies about one mile north-west of Mitcheldean on a high plateau. The site includes two pools, the larger Wigpool and the smaller Pit House Pond. The reserve was formed in 2009 from two earlier reserves first leased in 1967 and 1968. It is managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and the Forestry Commission. The reserve is recognised as a Key Wildlife Site in the Forest of Dean Local Plan Review. Its acidic, peaty soil supports a wide range of heathland, bog and aquatic plants. Heathland species include western gorse, cross-leaved heath and bell heather. Bog asphodel grows here, and sphagnum mosses cover parts of the ground. The pools provide habitats for common frog, palmate newt and several dragonfly species. Visitors find open heathland, wet bog and two clear pools. Heath violet and heath rush grow among the grasses and sedges. Birch and gorse have colonised some areas, while willow and alder grow near the water. Dragonflies such as the emperor and small red damselfly dart over the pools. A nearby publication suggests routes for wildlife watching in this part of the Forest of Dean.