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LOCAL NATURE RESERVE
Wildlife flourishes where once there was a railway, mills and collieries…
You can see Bluebells and Wild Garlic in the woodland and Wild Cherry, Hawthorn and Dog-rose blossoms in the hedge-rows and scrub. You may hear Great Spotted Woodpecker and see Dipper along Woodnook Water.
Meadow Brown and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies feed along the embankments in the sunny grassland; Speckled Wood butterflies bask in the woodland edge sunshine. You will see the invasive Himalayan Balsam flowering and Pipist-relle bats flying in the tree canopy at dusk and dawn.
The golden leaves of Beech and the red brown of Oak provide autumn colour. Look out for fungi on dead wood and amongst the leaf litter and acorns underneath oak trees.
Watch Redwing and Fieldfare feeding on the bushes. Follow the tracks of Roe Deer and birds such as Blackbird and Robin in the snow.
Surviving mature Beech trees in Priestley Clough can be seen in old postcards (above). Where Beech creates a continuous canopy, trees are thinned out to bring sunlight to the floor and encourage young trees to grow.
For Further info contact:- Lancashire County Council 0845 053 0000 Hyndburn Borough Council 01254 388111
Priestley Clough 1920s and today
Priestley Clough mature Beech trees
Woodnook Vale Local Nature Reserve offers local residents and visitors 51 hectares of woodland, heathland and wetland either side of the steep-sided river valley of Woodnook Water.
Industrial LegacyThe wildlife is interwoven with an industrial legacy that includes demolished mill buildings, former mill lodges and the Accrington to Manchester railway line. The disused railway line stretching from Platts Lodge in Accrington to the Kearns Allens lodges at Baxenden is now a 2.8km multi-user trackway.
RailwayThe Accrington to Bury section of railway line was opened in 1848 and was notorious for its steep 1:40 gradient. The line was also unusual for crossing a mill lodge (Platts Lodge). The original railway bridge over Nuttall St was widened in 1936 to allow lorries through to the industrial area. A datestone has been incorporated on the wall at the Nuttall St entrance to commemorate the rebuild. The line closed in December 1966.
The Five Arches Bridge at Shoe Mill remained until 1981 when it was demolished and replaced by the current bridge in 1992.
WildlifeAt least 61 species of birds, 291 plants, 13 fish, 108 invertebrates, 12 mammals and 3 species of bats have been recorded in Woodnook Vale.
Priestley CloughPriestley Clough is ancient woodland which means it has been wooded since AD 1600. The woodland gets its name from John Priestley, a cotton manufacturer who once ran Woodnook Mill. There was a mill pond (front cover picture) next to the Bath Street path which held the water to power the mill’s water wheel. Like the rest of the valley, the Clough has a long association with coal mining and its medieval name was Coal Pit Holme.
You can see Bluebells and Wild Garlic in the woodland and Wild Cherry, Hawthorn and Dog-rose blossoms in the hedge-rows and scrub. You may hear Great Spotted Woodpecker and see Dipper along Woodnook Water.
Meadow Brown and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies feed along the embankments in the sunny grassland; Speckled Wood butterflies bask in the woodland edge sunshine. You will see the invasive Himalayan Balsam flowering and Pipist-relle bats flying in the tree canopy at dusk and dawn.
The golden leaves of Beech and the red brown of Oak provide autumn colour. Look out for fungi on dead wood and amongst the leaf litter and acorns underneath oak trees.
Watch Redwing and Fieldfare feeding on the bushes. Follow the tracks of Roe Deer and birds such as Blackbird and Robin in the snow.
Woodnook ValeLOCAL NATURE RESERVE
Nuttall St after 1936
Nuttall St 1936
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Bluebells
Meadow Brown
Speckled Wood
Priestley Clough has been a popular area for local people for many gen-erations. It was perceived as a local beauty spot and several picture postcards of the area exist.Five Arches Bridge at Shoe Mill
Look out for Best time to see Notes
Ramsons April-May Also known as Wild Garlic
Wood Anemone April-May An indicator of ancient woodland
Silver BirchJuly-August for
leaves All year for white bark
Its sap can be used to make wine. Can be seen all the way up the line.
Hazel Anytime Look out for new shoots on coppiced stumps in Hollins Wood
Nuthatch All yearClimbs up the tree trunk then flies down to the base of another tree in search of insects
Dipper All year This bird has a white bib and walks along the river bed looking for food
Speckled Wood butterfly July-August Enjoys sunny, sheltered woodland
edges
DragonfliesSunny spells
throughout sum-mer
Common and Brown Hawker can be seen flying across the main line
BatsWarm evenings be-tween early Spring and late Autumn
Bats can be seen flying under the bridge at Five Arches Bridge/ Shoe Mill and skimming over Kearns Allen lodges
Railway bridges AnytimeSome stones have the signature marks of the masons that carved them which is called dressing
Pictures drawn by children from Baxenden St John’s CE Primary School
Archive photographs reproduced by permission Lancashire Library Service
Ormerod St
Tow
n C
entr
e &
Rai
lway
Sta
tion
Bath
St
Nuttall St
Miller Fold Avenue
N
Mill
St
Allia
nce
St
Shoe
Mill
Site
of
Smal
lpox
Hos
pita
l
Hol
lins
Woo
d
Allo
tmen
ts
Allotments
Allo
tmen
ts
Allo
tmen
ts
Kea
rns
Alle
n L
odge
s
Rai
lway
Bri
dge
Site
of C
ollie
ry
Rai
lway
Bri
dge
Site
of
form
erB
axen
den
Stat
ion
Prie
stle
yCl
ough
½ m
ile (a
ppro
x)
Man
ches
ter R
dM
anch
este
r Rd
Royd
s Ave
Hill St
Hol
lins L
nH
ollin
s Ln
Hollins Ln
Hurstead
St
Bellfield
R
d
cycle route
Rothw
ell
Ave
Riley
St
Hyn
dbur
n G
reen
way
NCN
Rou
te 6
Woo
dnoo
k W
ater
Woo
dn
ook
Water
Pert
h St
New
Pla
ntin
g 20
12
Broa
dlea
ved
woo
dlan
d
Con
ifero
us w
oodl
and
Wat
er
Ent
ranc
e po
ints
Cyc
le &
acc
essib
le ro
ute
Acce
ssib
le ro
ute
Benc
hes
Hea
ther
Mea
dow
Hyn
dbur
n
Gre
enw
ay N
CN R
oute
6
You
can
see
Blu
ebel
ls a
nd W
ild G
arlic
in t
he w
oodl
and
and
Wild
Che
rry,
Haw
thor
n an
d D
og-r
ose
blos
som
s in
the
hed
ge-
row
s an
d sc
rub.
You
may
hea
r G
reat
Spo
tted
Woo
dpec
ker
and
see
Dip
per
alon
g W
oodn
ook
Wat
er.
Mea
dow
Bro
wn
and
Smal
l To
rtoi
sesh
ell
butt
erfl
ies
feed
al
ong
the
emba
nkm
ents
in t
he s
unny
gra
ssla
nd; S
peck
led
Woo
d bu
tter
flie
s ba
sk in
the
woo
dlan
d ed
ge s
unsh
ine.
You
w
ill s
ee t
he in
vasi
ve H
imal
ayan
Bal
sam
flo
wer
ing
and
Pipi
st-
rell
e ba
ts f
lyin
g in
the
tre
e ca
nopy
at
dusk
and
daw
n.
The
gold
en l
eave
s of
Bee
ch a
nd t
he r
ed b
row
n of
Oak
pr
ovid
e au
tum
n co
lour
. Loo
k ou
t fo
r fu
ngi o
n de
ad w
ood
and
amon
gst
the
leaf
lit
ter
and
acor
ns u
nder
neat
h oa
k tr
ees.
Wat
ch R
edw
ing
and
Fiel
dfar
e fe
edin
g on
the
bus
hes.
Fol
low
th
e tr
acks
of
Roe
Dee
r an
d bi
rds
such
as
Blac
kbir
d an
d R
obin
in
the
sno
w.
Wood
nook
Vale
LOC
AL N
ATUR
E R
ESER
VE
Sess
ile O
ak (
no s
talk
)
Pedu
ncul
ate
Oak
(lo
ng s
talk
)
Bax
ende
n St
atio
n B
us S
top
Mea
dow
swee
t & W
illow
herb
Enc
hant
ers N
ight
shad
eSm
all S
kipp
er o
n Kn
apw
eed
Brac
ket F
ungi
Silv
er B
irch
betw
een
the
Rai
lway
Brid
ge a
nd H
urst
ead
St
Gla
de w
ith H
eath
er a
nd S
ilver
Birc
h
Roe
Dee
r
Silv
er B
irch
is e
asy
to r
ecog
nise
wit
h it
s de
lica
te le
aves
and
whi
te, p
aper
y ba
rk w
hich
pee
ls e
asil
y. T
hey
mak
e pr
etty
gla
des
and
youn
g tr
ees
are
ofte
n fo
und
inva
ding
pat
ches
of
Hea
ther
.
Both
type
s of n
ativ
e Br
itish
Oak
are
foun
d he
re: S
essil
e an
d Pe
dunc
ulat
e O
ak. T
he
oaks
can
hyb
ridise
com
bini
ng th
ese
two
char
acte
ristic
s and
exa
mpl
es o
f the
hyb
rids c
an
be fo
und
at W
oodn
ook.
Roe
Dee
r can
ofte
n be
seen
cro
ssin
g th
e lin
e in
the
early
mor
ning
s. Al
l yea
r rou
nd, y
ou c
an
see
the
Blue
Tits
, Gre
at T
its, B
ullfi
nche
s and
C
haffi
nche
s flyi
ng fr
om o
ne si
de o
f the
pat
h to
th
e ot
her l
ooki
ng fo
r foo
d.
Dea
dwoo
d is
impo
rtan
t for
wild
life
in
woo
dlan
d an
d an
y w
oodl
and
man
agem
ent
mus
t inc
lude
leav
ing
som
e tr
ees a
s sta
ndin
g de
adw
ood
for b
irds,
inse
cts a
nd fu
ngi.
Loo
k fo
r dea
d st
andi
ng tr
ees w
ith w
oodp
ecke
r hol
es
and
Brac
ket F
ungi
. You
may
also
see
pile
s of
woo
d le
ft af
ter c
oppi
cing
and
tree
felli
ng w
hich
ar
e ha
bita
t pile
s for
gro
und
beet
les a
nd o
ther
in
vert
ebra
tes.
The
Sho
e M
ill B
axen
den
Sign
al B
ox w
as
situa
ted
near
the
Five
Arc
hes
Brid
ge a
nd
oper
ated
from
187
5-19
62. I
n th
e va
lley
bott
om, y
ou c
an s
ee
the
rem
ains
of S
hoe
Mill
. The
cot
ton
mill
, th
ough
t to
have
bee
n bu
ilt in
179
0, w
as
pow
ered
by
wat
er
but c
lose
d fo
llow
ing
a se
riou
s fir
e. R
emna
nts
of th
e bu
ildin
gs a
re
clear
ly v
isibl
e. T
he fi
lled
circu
lar d
epre
ssio
n ne
ar
the
chim
ney
is pr
obab
ly a
n ol
d co
llier
y sh
aft.
Hol
lins
Woo
d is
broa
dlea
ved
plan
tatio
n of
H
azel
, Oak
, Nor
way
Map
le, S
ilver
Birc
h an
d Al
der
with
con
ifero
us tr
ees.
It w
as
also
the
site
of a
sm
all p
ox h
ospi
tal s
how
n by
ove
rgro
wn
bric
k fo
unda
tions
. Cop
pice
d tr
ees
such
as
Haz
el, c
reat
es s
unny
gla
des
for
butt
erfli
es li
ke S
peck
led
Woo
d. W
ood
from
cop
pici
ng a
nd fe
lling
is le
ft to
cre
ate
habi
tat p
iles
for
wild
life.
The
adj
oini
ng fi
eld
was
pla
nted
up
in 2
012
and
nam
ed J
ubile
e W
oodl
and.
Yel
low
Rat
tle c
an a
lso
be fo
und
in th
e fie
ld.
Knap
wee
d, v
etch
es a
nd th
istle
s ca
n be
see
n flo
wer
ing
in th
e m
eado
w in
Jul
y. E
very
yea
r, th
e m
eado
w is
cut
and
rak
ed to
mai
ntai
n its
w
ildflo
wer
s a
nd w
ill b
uzz
with
hov
erfli
es
and
bees
feed
ing
on th
e flo
wer
s. Sm
all S
kipp
er
butte
rflie
s will
rest
on
the
purp
le fl
ower
s in
the
suns
hine
. Lar
ge W
hite
an
d M
eado
w B
row
n bu
tterfl
ies c
an b
e se
en
flyin
g al
ong
the
disu
sed
railw
ay li
ne o
n w
arm
da
ys in
late
sum
mer
.
Patc
hes
of H
eath
er a
nd B
ilber
ry s
urvi
ve o
n th
e ba
nks
up th
e ra
ilway
line
. To
prot
ect
it, in
vasiv
e no
n na
tive
spec
ies
such
as
Him
alay
an B
alsa
m a
nd R
hodo
dend
ron
are
rem
oved
and
Silv
er B
irch
and
Ash
tree
s ar
e cu
t bac
k. H
eath
er is
eas
iest
to s
ee w
hen
the
pink
flow
ers
appe
ar in
Aug
ust a
nd is
a
part
icul
ar fa
vour
ite o
f bee
s.
Mea
dow
swee
t and
Will
owhe
rb a
re r
ich
sour
ces
of n
ecta
r fo
r be
es w
hich
will
also
vi
sit B
ram
ble,
D
og-r
ose
and
Hea
ther
flow
ers.
Del
icat
e flo
wer
s of
Enc
hant
ers
Nig
htsh
ade
occu
r in
pat
ches
on
the
path
edg
e up
the
line.
Bro
oklim
e ca
n be
se
en in
the
ditc
h th
at
follo
ws
the
line.
The
sout
hern
end
of
the
railw
ay h
as m
inin
g fe
atur
es. W
hile
mos
t tr
aces
of B
axen
den
Col
liery
hav
e go
ne, y
ou
can
still
see
drift
min
e en
tran
ces a
t the
Hur
stea
d St
reet
ent
ranc
e.
Wal
k pa
st Ke
arns
Alle
n Lo
dges
to se
e rem
nant
s of
Bax
ende
n St
atio
n in
cludi
ng th
e sou
thbo
und
plat
form
. An
engi
ne sh
ed a
nd a
noth
er p
latfo
rm
edge
can
be se
en in
the t
rans
port
yar
d of
Hol
land
s Pi
es. W
hile
Baxe
nden
Sta
tion
close
d to
pas
seng
ers
in 1
951
the n
eare
st bu
s sto
p on
Man
ches
ter R
oad
is sti
ll ca
lled
‘Bax
ende
n St
atio
n’.
Silv
er B
irch
Woo
dnoo
k Val
e Na
ture
Rese
rve
cont
ains
area
s of
Oak-
Birc
h wo
odla
nd w
hich
is
char
acte
ristic
of
Lanc
ashi
re
valle
ys or
clou
ghs