SJ7948 : Cuckoo-flowers at Bateswood Country Park
taken 6 years ago, near to Halmer End, Staffordshire, England
Bateswood Country Park, north-west of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire and adjacent to the village of Halmer End, is designated as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR). It was developed after the cessation of opencast mining in the 1990s, which left the area as a barren wasteland with poor quality soil. Birch reforestation and the creation of a lake have improved the habitat for wildlife, while a network of footpaths and a bridle path create access to most parts of the site. In 2012 managed fishing by a local angling club was permitted, in an attempt to curb illicit fishing.
The site is managed by Newcastle Borough Council in partnership with Halmer End Wildlife Trust, a group of volunteers.
This site is not to be confused with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's reserve immediately to the south, also called Bateswood (see Link.