If you go down to the woods today…

Wigan Flashes Local Nature Reserve (LNR), one of the hidden gems of the borough, is being transformed. Volunteers, officers, wildlife experts and council staff are working hard to make the woodlands, wetlands and paths safe and accessible for people to visit, and also more attractive for wildlife to thrive.

The reserve is a legacy from Wigan’s mining past. The lakes – known locally as flashes – were formed as a result of mining activity towards the end of the 19th Century. In more recent times, the giant cooling towers of Westwood Power Station cast a shadow over the landscape.

There was even a landfill site active between Pearson’s and Turner’s Flash, on what is now a peaceful haven for wildlife and recreation. The reserve is well known amongst wildlife enthusiasts as a place to see rare species such as Bittern and, more recently, Cetti’s warbler that make the reserve reedbeds their home.

Once the industrial works had ended, the spoil heaps and landfill site were landscaped to create a more natural setting. Many trees were planted as part of landscaping works and these have developed into areas of woodland which provide feeding and nesting sites for many of the songbirds on the reserve.

Since 1999 Lancashire Wildlife Trust has managed the Wigan Flashes LNR in partnership with the landowners Wigan Council. Now they are set to become part of Greenheart, a major initiative to unite country parks and open land from Pennington in Leigh to Haigh Hall in Wigan.

Council Greenheart project manager, Jo Harrop, says:

“This is one of a number of great projects that has been carried out in recent months in the area as part of Greenheart. With money from the European Regional Development Fund, we’re further improving the woodlands around the former Ince landfill site, to help make the countryside more attractive for local people to visit.”

Lancashire Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers have recently completed work aimed at improving these woods. To make them more attractive to visitors and wildlife, teams have been embarking on a major spring clean.

Their first task was to remove fencing that was falling into disrepair, and shift other eyesores, such as fly tipped car parts.

Regular visitors to the reserve will have heard the sounds of tree felling coming from the woods in the last few weeks. The trees had grown into dense woodland, with very few shrub trees throughout. By removing carefully selected trees, those that remain have more room to spread their branches as they mature.

The teams have created attractive woodlands glades. These will let sunlight reach the woodland floor, and in due course woodland flowers including Wild Garlic and Bluebells will be planted to bring a riot of spring colour to the woodland floor.

The final part of the scheme involved planting native shrubs such as Hazel, Hawthorn and Elder, with taller species such as Bird Cherry, Rowan, and Guelder Rose planted to bring blossom and berries at the woodland edges.

Helen Sephton, Wigan Flashes LNR Project Officer, says:

“This has been a really satisfying project. It’s great to see how the woods have improved as the work has progressed. Some improvements have been instant, for example the removal of the fencing, and we’re looking forwards to seeing the more long term improvements as the trees mature, and the planted shrubs begin to grow.”

So, if you go down to the woods today, you can be sure to see some improvements. You will be able to watch the wildlife that’s making the most of the work that has been carried out.