Clayton Vale, Manchester

Location

Background Clayton Vale is a 100 acre nature reserve on the Medlock River Valley in Greater Manchester. In the early 1900s the area was purchased and turned into a landfill, and industries and hospitals were also built on the land. In 1986 the heavily polluted land was purchased by the Manchester City Council and turned into a large green space.

Features Approximately 250,000 trees and bushes were planted, most of them native species, and the area is now a semi-mature forest home to a wide range of woodland species such as sparrow hawks and jays. Four ponds on the site have been identified as Sites of Biological Importance as they contain scarce plant species. A network of paths runs through the area, and the reserve contains a visitor centre and fishing pond.

Management The area is managed by the Friends of Clayton Vale, a voluntary organisation dedicated to the preservation, maintenance and promotion of the area. Since the original redevelopment of the site the area is generally left to grow naturally. Educational and environmental activities are run as part of a citywide scheme, activities such as wildlife trails and bug hunts take place in order to raise awareness in both children and adults.