Welcome to Bridge Street Local Nature Reserve

"The woods are full of music:

From the rustle of leaves to the creaking bough,

From the ripple of water to the songbirds’ chorus:

It’s a free performance, it’s playing now."

Rod Riesco 2014

Bridge Street Local Nature Reserve is almost 7 acres of semi natural, broad leaved woodland.  It is quite literally a bridge between Horwich town centre and the open countryside, including Wilderswood, Winter Hill and Rivington Pike.  It is comprised of several different habitats: woodland areas, brooks, glades, ponds and wetlands.  When several different habitats meet a rich diversity of wildlife is often found, and this is the case at Bridge St LNR.

(Map is a work in progress)

The woodlands mainly comprise of sycamore, ash, alder, norway maple, hawthorn, hazel, holly and willow, with some hornbeam, sessile oak, beech and birch.  In the glades, wildflowers are limited, with wood avens, herb robert, opposite leaved golden saxifrage, creeping buttercup, lesser hogweed and great willowherb most commonly found, but this is soon to be remedied, hopefully bringing in more insect life.  In the spring bluebells, wild garlic, celandine, pink purslane, forget me nots, primroses and red campion are increasing.

Butterflies that are commonly found in the reserve are large white, speckled wood, comma, red admiral, orange tip, brimstone and green veined white, although other species have been seen from time to time. 

Mammals found at Bridge St LNR include squirrels, bats, voles, moles, shrews and wood mice and often evidence is found of fox activity.  Deer are often seen in the early morning crossing the reserve.  Down in the wetlands smooth newts, palmate newts and common frogs abound, and don't be surprised to see them just about anywhere.  Resident birds include garden birds such as: robins, blackbirds, song thrush, wrens, blue tits, great tits and dunnocks with chaffinch in winter and blackcaps present in the summer.  Woodland birds include the nuthatch, coal tits, treecreepers and woodpigeon, with long tailed tits and great spotted woodpecker in the winter and chiffchaff in the summer.  Corvids are well represented with crows, magpies and jays present all year round with jackdaws often seen, and heard, flying over.  Perhaps the stars of the show are the grey wagtails found all year round bouncing about in the brook and the dippers who breed in the woods and not forgetting the tawny owls, best seen during the spring and summer as they also breed in the woods.  Rare sightings include the kingfisher!  The presence of the ponds also makes a heron a common sight during the winter.  Birds of prey include sparrowhawks and buzzards.

Today it's a Local Nature Reserve for all to enjoy.  Click here to find out about its past.