The Wildlife Trust
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Location Abram Flash is situated 6 km south-east of Wigan and 3 kilometres east of Ashton-in-Makerfield. The site lies adjacent to the Leeds and Liverpool canal along the Hey Brook, and forms part of a series of wetlands stretching for some 10 km between Wigan and Leigh, known as the Wigan Flashes. To get to the site turn off the A580(T) onto the A573 Warrington Road, head north until you cross the Leeds and Liverpool canal. The site is on your right hand side just before you cross the canal and is accessible on foot only. There are no parking facilities available for this site, although Parking may be found in nearby Abram |
Access A permit is required for visiting the reserve. This can be obtained from the Trust office. The site has difficult access due to the steep banks leading down from the adjacent canal, so care must be taken. Status This 7.3 ha site was bought by the Trust in 2009 and forms part of the Abram Flash SSSI. Funding for the purchase of this site was kindly provided by Natural England through its Wetland Vision scheme. |
Abram Flash
Nearest town: Leigh
Grid reference: SD 612 002, Landranger 109, Explorer 276
Abram Flash is a 7.3 ha site consisting of a mosaic of habitats including mossland (lowland raised bog), wet grassland, reedbed, fen and open water, and forms part of the Wigan Flashes. The site is of particular interest for breeding waterfowl including mute swan, mallard, tufted duck, pochard, garganey, shoveler and gadwall.
Yellow wagtails and waders such as lapwing, snipe and redshank breed in the wet grassland, itself a nationally declining habitat, whilst characteristic birds of swamp and fen such as reed bunting, reed warbler and sedge warbler are also present.
The site is also locally important for wintering waterfowl which use the whole Wigan Flashes complex, and can provide valuable feeding and roosting habitat for migrant waders such as greenshank, ruff and dunlin. Water voles are also known to occur on site.
Click here to read more about our important work with mossland restoration
For more information, visit Wigan Greenheart