Places to visit | The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire Manchester and North Merseyside

A visitor to a nature reserve walking past a bee orchid

Tom Marshall

Find your nearest nature reserve

42 nature reserves to explore ()

Coastal, woodland, wetland and peatland habitats ()

3,096 acres of precious wild space protected ()

Vulnerable species brought back from the brink ()

Discover wild places in your region

We look after 42 amazing nature reserves across our region. Discover more about each of these special wild places, or check out some of our favourites in your local area.

Nature reserves list

Nature reserves in East Lancashire

From idyllic woods to former quarries littered with fossils, our East Lancashire nature reserves are beautiful and fascinating.

Nature Reserve

Foxhill Bank Local Nature Reserve

Birds and amphibians thrive in this small but important nature reserve hidden among the urban landscape.

Nature Reserve

Cross Hill Quarry Local Nature Reserve

Wildlife and wildflowers have reclaimed this former quarry in the heart of the Ribble Valley.

Wildflowers lining a footpath that leads to a woodland watched over by Pendle Hill

Nature Reserve

Salthill Quarry Local Nature Reserve

Soak up rainbow-bright wildflowers, skittering butterflies and beautiful birds on-high.

Nature reserves in Central Lancashire

Ancient woodlands brim with bluebells and trees burst with birdsong in Central Lancashire reserves that offer the perfect place to bask in nature's beauty.

The ancient trees of Boilton and Red Scar Woods from the footpath at Brockholes

Nature Reserve

Boilton, Nab, Redscar and Tunbrook Woods

Foxes, roe deer and stunning birds of prey lay claim to one of the largest remaining areas of ancient, semi-natural, deciduous woodland…

Nature Reserve

Brockholes Nature Reserve

A new kind of nature reserve where both people and wildlife thrive alongside one another.

Nature Reserve

Cop Lane

Wildlife and a wealth of wildflowers are reclaiming this former railway-line near Preston.

Nature reserves in West Lancashire

Stroll through secret gardens where butterflies flourish and sit by peaceful lakes where waders dabble and dive - West Lancashire is a special wild retreat.

Nature Reserve

Mere Sands Wood Nature Reserve

Wildfowl, waders and abundant wildflowers thrive in this tranquil oasis of lakes and woodland.

Nature Reserve

Freemans Pasture

Burnet moths and beautiful wildflowers brighten up this idyllic meadow near Chorley.

Project

Fylde Sand Dunes

We are working with Fylde & Blackpool Councils to care for our vital sand dune habitats

Nature reserves in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a hidden wildlife gem where nature is thriving amidst the hustle and bustle of the big city. From mossland wildernesses to Special Sites of Scientific Interest, there is a whole range of habitats to explore.

Peatland habitat with green sphagnum moss and white cotton-grass seed heads

Nature Reserve

Cadishead & Little Woolden Moss

Sphagnum moss, common lizards and dragonflies are reclaiming these once-exploited peatlands, whose scars are only just beginning to heal…

A male linnet perched on a twig at the top of a bush

Nature Reserve

Moston Fairway

Moston Fairway is a tranquil retreat just a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Manchester city centre.

A great crested grebe swimming with two small chicks on its back

Nature Reserve

Wigan Flashes Local Nature Reserve

Feel your worries wash away as you stroll around tranquil lakes and peaceful woodlands brimming with wildlife.

Nature reserves in Lancaster

Combining towering limestone cliffs and stunning coastal habitats, our nature reserves in Lancaster nurture rare butterflies, breeding waders and nationally important habitats.

Nature Reserve

Heysham Moss

Sedge warblers chatter, rare butterflies flutter and buzzards circle overhead at Heysham Moss.

Nature Reserve

Heysham Nature Reserve

An oasis for butterflies and birds just round the corner from bustling Heysham docks.

Nature Reserve

Warton Crag

Dominated by limestone cliffs, decorated by wildflowers and colonised by rare butterflies, Warton Crag will leave you spellbound.

Nature reserves in North Merseyside

Our North Merseyside nature reserves protect some of the most important coastal habitats in our region, where common lizards, red squirrels, water voles and whole rafts of seabirds feed, breed and roost in vital beauty spots.

Nature Reserve

Freshfield Dune Heath

Coast, heath and woodland meet at this unique nature reserve on the Sefton Coast.

Nature Reserve

Lunt Meadows

No matter the time of year, Lunt Meadows is brimming with brilliant birdlife.

A common tern with a sand eel clasped in its bill

Nature Reserve

Seaforth Nature Reserve

Life never moves in the slow lane at Seaforth, a coastal nature reserve home to hundreds of thousands of waders and seabirds.

A common lizard resting on a log in the sunshine

Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography

What can you see at our reserves?

Discover the star species you can spot through the seasons.

Explore seasonal wildlife

Join us and help us to protect even more wild places

Your membership means we can protect vital habitats, safeguard species, and carry out vital restoration and conservation work to maintain our nature reserves for both people and wildlife.

Become a member

I really like how local LWT is. The reserves are great. I’m proud when I see the positive difference made on a local as well as a national level.

LWT member