Meeting details

Meet at 09.30 at the large car park at SJ99424837 (ST9 0BE).
Leader: Martin Godfrey

This is a post-industrial site which has retained the largest remaining concentration of semi-natural ancient woodland in Staffordshire, intermixed with scrub, unimproved neutral and acid grassland and large areas of mire, marsh and carr. Sandstone outcrops occur along the most elevated parts of the site. Below this the River Churnet has cut through the Upper Carboniferous (Silesian) coal measures exposing both the Crabtree and Two Foot Coal horizons, together with the Froghall Ironstone, all separated by mudstones and siltstones. These exposures have been locally worked within the site, the resulting spoil being generally base-rich even where the surface layers are acidic. The steep valley sides have suffered extensive land slips where flushes and tufa springs are locally frequent.

Note: There are toilet facilities available at the carpark.