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Location Moor Piece is located to the north of Bashall Eaves and east of Cow Ark in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. |
Access The reserve is divided by a minor road (Rabbit Lane) which gives some good views into the nature reserve. However, there is no public access onto the land and a permit to visit the site is required from the Trust. Status The 16 ha site is leased by the Trust from a local landowner. It is a County Biological Heritage Site, of importance for its woodland, colony of Green Hairstreak butterfly and remnant bog community. It is also of importance for its birdlife. |
Moor Piece
Nearest town: Clitheroe
Grid reference: SD 693 448, Landranger 103, Explorer OL41
This block of semi-natural woodland is dominated by Birch, with a fringe of conifers along the northwestern boundary. To the north of Rabbit Lane the Birch has naturally self-seeded onto what was in the past an open area of peat bog. Whilst the vegetation is dominated by tussocks of Purple Moor-grass, bog plants such as Sphagnum moss, Bog Asphodel, Cranberry and Cross-leaved Heath are still evident.
A block of the woodland adjacent to Rabbit Lane has a dense understorey of Rhododendron, the spread of which is being controlled. Over 80 species of bird have been recorded from the site, of which 38 have been confirmed as breeding. The main ornithological significance lies in the population of breeding Spotted Flycatcher and Marsh Tit. The site is also locally important for warblers, in particular the Wood Warbler and Tree Pipits.
The woodland to the south of Rabbit Lane is generally drier and has a greater proportion of Oak, although a small watercourse through the compartment supports many Alder trees.
