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Excellent signposts and a wildflower trail make Anderton ideal for the budding naturalist. |
ANDERTON NATURE PARK
Contact:
The Rangers Office; Marbury Country Park, Comberbach; Northwich; Cheshire; CW9 6AT
Tel No: 01606 77741
Amenities:
Shop nearby with refreshments.
Opening and Closing Times:
The car park is open at all times along with access to all park areas. The visitor centre is open 2pm-4pm on Wednesdays, 10am to 4pm on Thursdays to Sundays, and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Area Description:
Built on several old saltworks sites this mosaic of lagoons, grassland, birch and willow scrub and reedbeds is a delight for the insect enthusiast and keen botanist. The slow moving River Weaver adds a leisurely touch to a reserve that seems to have a constantly changing theme. There is a wildflower trail with a netwok of pathways throughout. There is 1 hide at the far end of the reserve that overlooks a specially created pool.
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Excellent signposts and a wildflower trail make Anderton ideal for the budding naturalist. |
Best times to visit:
Spring, summer and autumn are best with birds, flowers, insects and fungi having their own special period. Coupled with the adjoining Marbury Country Park this can make for a rewarding day out.
Key Flora:
The Wildflower Trail is an excellent inclusion and points out such speciality species such as Fragrant Orchid, Pennyroyal, Hemlock, Sea Spurrey, Wild Celery and Weld. Commoner plants include Monkey Flower, Wild Strawberry, Selfheal, Common Centaury and Figwort with Teasel is plentiful along the riverside pathway
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Teasel - one of the more commoner plants at Anderton Nature Park |
During a good autumn fungi can be abundant with Fly Agaric an obvious highlight and Common Earthstar an added bonus.
Key Fauna:
With 25 species of butterfly and nearly 20 species of dragonfly recorded at Anderton this really makes a summer visit an absolute must. The aptly named 'Wildlife Pond' is a great place to observe the behaviour of the more common species of dragonfly with the occasional rarity thrown in for good measure the most likely of which is the Black-Tailed Skimmers. The riverbank is an ideal site to see Emperor's patrolling and Brown Hawkers on the hunt for food as well as the delicate fluttering of a passing Banded Demoiselle.
Other insect life is rife with bees, wasps, hoverflies, day flying moths and beetles quite numerous.
River and pond fish are abundant with Tench and Carp a possibility on a hot sunny day.
Birdlife is varied with reed and sedge warblers occupying the reedbed, various waders seen at the Haydn Pool during migration, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers within the woodland and several species of finch feeding on their chosen foodplant.
