RIVERSIDE PARK

Directions

Head north from Macclesfield along the A523 road. Turn left into Beechwood Mews almost immediately after the road crosses the River Bollin . Park by the Information Centre (grid reference SJ915745 on sheet 118 of the OS Landranger Map).

To view a location map click here.

Description Of Site

The site is owned by Macclesfield Borough Council and managed by the Bollin Valley Project Rangers.

A footpath follows the river and railway line through grassland. There is also a mature deciduous wood and three small ponds. The first section of the footpath is suitable for wheelchairs, thus making the site ideal for disabled people.

Further information about the site, together with a map board showing the footpath, can be seen at the Information Centre.

There is some activity during all four seasons, but the greatest variety of birds can be seen in the spring and summer. Birds present all the year include the following: Grey heron, mallard, sparrowhawk, kestrel, moorhen, black-headed gull, woodpigeon, kingfisher, great spotted woodpecker, grey wagtail, starling, jay, magpie, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, wren, dunnock, blackbird, treecreeper, chaffinch, bullfinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, song and mistle thrushes, and blue, great and long-tailed tits.

In spring and summer, these are joined by swift, swallow, chiffchaff, willow warbler, and house and sand martins. Redpoll, redwing, and fieldfare make their appearance in winter.

Other Points Of Interest

At the limit of the surfaced footpath, the Countryside Rangers have created a small area where annual native wildflowers are grown.

A small herd of Longhorn cattle is kept on the grassland. Such a scheme enables the pasture to be kept short to encourage colonisation by grassland flowers and helps a rare breed of cattle to survive.

Several species of grassland butterflies can be seen on the meadows. These include large skipper, large, small and green-veined white, orange tip, small copper, meadow brown, small heath and wall, chimney sweeper moths are abundant in June and July.