Grid Ref: SD 685103
Size: 18 Hectares

Access points on to the reserve are restricted mainly to areas along Markland Hill and Moss Bank Way, although an access point for car borne visitors exists off Chorley Old road, where car parking facilities are provided. Within the reserve itself access is via a circular path around the larger of the two lodges, with a less used linear path, running through to Moss Bank Way.

Designated on the 8th June 1992, Doffcocker Lodge was Bolton's only Local Nature Reserve until the recent (2000) designation of Nob End in Moses Gate Country Park. The site is also a Site of Biological Importance grade B (SBI), chiefly due to its reedbed habitats and associated bird species; it is further protected as green belt land. The reserve is centred on a disused reservoir, originally created in 1874 by the damming of the Doffcocker Brook to provide a mill lodge. The lodge itself is now composed of two water bodies divided by a causeway, connecting Markland Hill Lane to the south with Moss Bank Way to the north. The reserve is widely used by local people for recreational activities. The larger of these water bodies, which covers 6.3 ha and lies to the east of the causeway, represents the main focus of recreational activities, including dog walking, bird watching and fishing. The main areas of wildlife interest on this eastern lodge are the stands of reedbed and marsh habitat. The smaller western lodge which covers 1.8 ha, possesses the main areas of wildlife interest, with much swamp and marsh habitat present. In 1989 a scrape was dug to the west of the lodge to provide additional wildlife interest, primarily for wetland bird species.

Flora
The Doffcocker Local Nature Reserve supports a large and varied range of plants. These make up a number of different habitat types/communities including marshes and swamps, grasslands (both neutral and acid) and areas of scrub woodland.

Fauna
The reserve is most notable for its bird life and in particular its waders and wildfowl. Great crested grebes breed in the sheltered areas of the reserve and the rare slavonian grebe has been recorded on the reserve. Teal have been known to nest which makes Doffcocker one on the only two or three places where this species has bred within Greater Manchester. 21 species of duck have been recorded on the reserve. Mute Swans nest on the reserve on a regular basis. Wading birds include, oystercatcher, jack snipe, and common snipe (these appear to be reduced in numbers since 1987). Other notable records include black-tailed godwit, greenshank, green and wood sandpiper and, in past years, the rare pectoral and curlew sandpipers.

The reedbed and marsh habitats provide areas for nesting reed buntings, reed and sedge warblers. Whitethroat, lesser whitethroat and blackcap have also been noted. Water rail, a secretive member of the Gallinule family has also bred on the reserve and 4 members of the tern family have been seen, including the rare black tern. Up to 7 pairs of Common Tern now regularly breed on the rafts on the rerserve.

Birds of prey species include sparrowhawk, kestrel & tawny owl, while hobby & peregrine have also been recorded.

As well as the bird life on the site the site also hosts populations of Water Vole, Pipistrelle Bat, Common Shrew, Weasel, Smooth and Palmate Newts, Frog, toad and many species of insect some of which are recognised as being locally important.