About the reserve

Holiday Moss is a stark reminder of how man has ignored our vital peatlands over the centuries. This small fragment of raised bog once formed part of a 50-hectare peatland that also incorporated Kings Moss. Sadly, our fragment is all that remains after the rest was turned into landfill, and even this was once exploited for peat extraction.

Luckily, Holiday Moss is bouncing back. A fantastic mosaic of peatland, woodland, fen and open water habitats support everything from common lizards to black darter dragonflies and reed buntings. Then there are the plants: Holiday Moss is one of only two sites in Merseyside to have bog myrtle growing on its land.

Endangered in many parts of the UK, this sweet smelling shrub is characteristic of marshy land and was once used to make insect repellent and bog myrtle ale. In Scotland, where it is plentiful, it is sometimes now used as a botanical in gin.

Unfortunately, due to legal issues outside of the Trust’s control, Holiday Moss can’t currently be accessed by the general public.

Learn more about peatlands