Loynton Moss

Loynton Moss is a nature reserve managed by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. It lies near the village of Woodseaves in Staffordshire, close to the Shropshire Union Canal between Norbury and High Offley. The reserve covers 13 hectares and holds a Site of Special Scientific Interest designation. Most of the land is wet, with reedbeds and wet woodland that are hard to reach. In summer the wetter parts can be busy with mosquitoes. The landscape formed after the last ice age when a block of dead ice left by melting glaciers created a kettle hole. When the ice melted the hole became a lake, which later turned into peaty, boggy land known as a moss. The reserve contains dry wooded areas where bluebells flower in spring. A large grassland area was added in 2000 after being drained for farming in 1970. Rare plants such as marsh cinquefoil and cowbane grow in the wetland. Moths, butterflies and unusual insects live here, drawing birds like willow warblers and reed buntings. Alder carr and other wet woodland line the ditches and drains that are watched to keep water levels steady. Birch trees take up so much water in summer that some have been cut back to protect the wetland habitat.