Tel: 0161 427 6937 6937 427 0161 Tel:

please contact the V the contact please isitor Centre. Centre. isitor

For leaflets and details of all events and activities, activities, and events all of details and leaflets For Leaflet Supported By: By: Supported Leaflet

railway stations. stations. railway

Station and via Marple and Romiley and Marple via Village Compstall and Station Make no unnecessary noise noise unnecessary no Make •

Buses 383 and 384 between Central Bus Bus Central Stockport between 384 and 383 Buses

Protect wildlife, plants and trees trees and plants wildlife, Protect •

How to get to Etherow Country : Park: Country Etherow to get to How

Help to keep all water clean clean water all keep to Help •

in advance. advance. in

Take your litter home home litter your Take •

key. Motorised wheelchairs are available free of charge by booking booking by charge of free available are wheelchairs Motorised key.

pay and display car park. Accessible toilets are operated on a radar radar a on operated are toilets Accessible park. car display and pay

Use gates and stiles stiles and gates Use •

A cafeteria and toilets are located next to the Visitor Centre in the the in Centre Visitor the to next located are toilets and cafeteria A

Keep to footpaths footpaths to Keep •

11am - 4pm Daily. Daily. 4pm - 11am

Keep your dogs under close control control close under dogs your Keep • We endeavour to open the visitor centre between between centre visitor the open to endeavour We

Visitor Centre opening times: times: opening Centre Visitor (except Christmas Day) Day) Christmas (except

Fasten all gates gates all Fasten •

0161 474 4480 4480 474 0161 telephone: Please print. large and

Guard against all risk of fire fire of risk all against Guard •

This information can be made available in audio, braille braille audio, in available made be can information This

COUNTRYSIDE COUNTRYSIDE the for Respect

Themed walks walks Themed •

Practical community task days days task community Practical •

Interpretive displays in the Visitor Centre Centre Visitor the in displays Interpretive •

School education visits visits education School • Country Park and Local Nature Reserve Reserve Nature Local and Park Country

ETHEROW ETHEROW

Sailing club club Sailing •

Model boat club club boat Model •

trails trails nature

Angling at the mill ponds ponds mill the at Angling •

Self guided walks and trails trails and walks guided Self • self guided guided self

English Language Service on 0161 477 9000 9000 477 0161 on Service Language English

with this information. Please telephone Stockport Stockport telephone Please information. this with

A free interpreting service is available if you need help help need you if available is service interpreting free A

events events Activities and

TEL: 0161 427 6937 6937 427 0161 TEL:

George St, Compstall, Stockport. SK6 5JD 5JD SK6 Stockport. Compstall, St, George Etherow Country Park & Local Nature Reserve, Reserve, Nature Local & Park Country Etherow

What is a A Short History of A haven for Local Nature Reserve? Etherow Wildlife

In urban areas, access to the peace and beauty of natural A rural retreat Etherow Country Park is now owned and managed by Friends of Etherow, Etherow Community Council and surroundings is essential to human well-being and quality Stockport Council and is an award winning Green Flag Park. members of the local community with an interest in the of life. In Stockport, Local Nature Reserves are able to It was established in 1968 as one of Britain’s first Country Park are involved in its continuing development through Parks and is a popular retreat from urban living. formal consultation, a range of small projects, wildlife provide for this by giving people special opportunities to Over a quarter of a million people now visit the Park each monitoring, practical action and assisting with funding see, enjoy and learn about wild plants, animals and year to enjoy the natural beauty of ancient woodland walks applications. along the Etherow valley, in the foothills of the Peak natural features. District National Park. Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) At the same time they can protect the most important The Park was once part of the estate of George Andrew who Compstall SSSI supports rare plants and animals that are built Compstall Mill in the 1820s. Operation of the cotton of national importance. It is very sensitive to disturbance places locally for wildlife and natural features, increase mill required a large workforce and in the tradition of mill and being remote, has limited access. If you would like to people’s awareness of the importance of nature and help owners of the day, George Andrews built the village of visit this area of the Park, a permit may be obtained from to forge partnerships between local people, wildlife Compstall, the church and school. the Visitor Centre. Please remember to keep disturbance to a minimum. organisations and local authorities. The mill was powered by 50 million gallons of water per day, collected from above the weir. That’s enough water to fill Discovering Nature 150 swimming pools! Held back by the weir, the River Despite its industrial past, the ancient Keg Woodland Local Nature Reserves are a nationally recognised, statutory Etherow broke its banks upstream to create valuable wetland ‘cloughs’* survive on the valley slopes, and Ernocroft Wood habitats. The water then passed down the feeder canal and designation, established under the National Parks and and the wetlands of Keg Pool and Marsh have gradually across what is now the car park to drive the water wheel, been reclaimed, both by man and by nature. Access to the Countryside Act 1949. ‘Big Lily’. The importance of these areas for wildlife was officially User Groups recognised in 1969 by the declaration of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, now managed by the Wildlife The park attracts many different interest groups including, Trust, and in 2000 by the designation of all three areas Etherow Model Boat Club, Etherow Sailing Club and as a Local Nature Reserve. Stockport & District Anglers Federation *Cloughs - steeply incised small valleys. who all make use of the lake and canal feeder facilities. Foreign invaders Rhododendron, Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed were introduced to Britain for ornamental reasons but have become aggressively dominant, displacing native plants and seriously reducing wildlife interest. Here at Etherow, site management focuses on trying to minimise their impact on native species.

native species. species. native

trying to minimise their impact on on impact their minimise to trying

Etherow, site management focuses on on focuses management site Etherow,

reducing wildlife interest. Here at at Here interest. wildlife reducing

displacing native plants and seriously seriously and plants native displacing

have become aggressively dominant, dominant, aggressively become have

were introduced to Britain for ornamental reasons but but reasons ornamental for Britain to introduced were

Rhododendron, Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed knotweed Japanese and balsam Himalayan Rhododendron,

Foreign invaders invaders Foreign feeder facilities. facilities. feeder

who all make use of the lake and canal canal and lake the of use make all who

*Cloughs - steeply incised small valleys. valleys. small incised steeply - *Cloughs

Stockport & District Anglers Federation Federation Anglers District & Stockport

as a Local Nature Reserve. Reserve. Nature Local a as

Etherow Model Boat Club, Etherow Sailing Club and and Club Sailing Etherow Club, Boat Model Etherow

Trust, and in 2000 by the designation of all three areas areas three all of designation the by 2000 in and Trust,

The park attracts many different interest groups including, including, groups interest different many attracts park The

Scientific Interest, now managed by the Cheshire Wildlife Wildlife Cheshire the by managed now Interest, Scientific

User Groups Groups User recognised in 1969 by the declaration of a Site of Special Special of Site a of declaration the by 1969 in recognised

The importance of these areas for wildlife was officially officially was wildlife for areas these of importance The

‘Big Lily’. Lily’. ‘Big

Access to the Countryside Act 1949. 1949. Act Countryside the to Access

been reclaimed, both by man and by nature. nature. by and man by both reclaimed, been

across what is now the car park to drive the water wheel, wheel, water the drive to park car the now is what across

and the wetlands of Keg Pool and Marsh have gradually gradually have Marsh and Pool Keg of wetlands the and designation, established under the National Parks and and Parks National the under established designation,

habitats. The water then passed down the feeder canal and and canal feeder the down passed then water The habitats.

‘cloughs’* survive on the valley slopes, and Ernocroft Wood Wood Ernocroft and slopes, valley the on survive ‘cloughs’*

Local Nature Reserves are a nationally recognised, statutory statutory recognised, nationally a are Reserves Nature Local Etherow broke its banks upstream to create valuable wetland wetland valuable create to upstream banks its broke Etherow

Despite its industrial past, the ancient Keg Woodland Woodland Keg ancient the past, industrial its Despite

150 swimming pools! Held back by the weir, the River River the weir, the by back Held pools! swimming 150

Discovering Nature Nature Discovering

collected from above the weir. That’s enough water to fill fill to water enough That’s weir. the above from collected

organisations and local authorities. authorities. local and organisations

The mill was powered by 50 million gallons of water per day, day, per water of gallons million 50 by powered was mill The

to a minimum. minimum. a to

to forge partnerships between local people, wildlife wildlife people, local between partnerships forge to

the Visitor Centre. Please remember to keep disturbance disturbance keep to remember Please Centre. Visitor the Compstall, the church and school. school. and church the Compstall,

visit this area of the Park, a permit may be obtained from from obtained be may permit a Park, the of area this visit

owners of the day, George Andrews built the village of of village the built Andrews George day, the of owners people’s awareness of the importance of nature and help help and nature of importance the of awareness people’s

and being remote, has limited access. If you would like to to like would you If access. limited has remote, being and mill required a large workforce and in the tradition of mill mill of tradition the in and workforce large a required mill

places locally for wildlife and natural features, increase increase features, natural and wildlife for locally places

of national importance. It is very sensitive to disturbance disturbance to sensitive very is It importance. national of built Compstall Mill in the 1820s. Operation of the cotton cotton the of Operation 1820s. the in Mill Compstall built

Compstall SSSI supports rare plants and animals that are are that animals and plants rare supports SSSI Compstall The Park was once part of the estate of George Andrew who who Andrew George of estate the of part once was Park The At the same time they can protect the most important important most the protect can they time same the At

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (SSSI) Interest Scientific Special of Site

District National Park. Park. National District

natural features. features. natural

along the Etherow river valley, in the foothills of the Peak Peak the of foothills the in valley, the along

applications. applications. year to enjoy the natural beauty of ancient woodland walks walks woodland ancient of beauty natural the enjoy to year see, enjoy and learn about wild plants, animals and and animals plants, wild about learn and enjoy see,

monitoring, practical action and assisting with funding funding with assisting and action practical monitoring, Over a quarter of a million people now visit the Park each each Park the visit now people million a of quarter a Over

provide for this by giving people special opportunities to to opportunities special people giving by this for provide

formal consultation, a range of small projects, wildlife wildlife projects, small of range a consultation, formal Parks and is a popular retreat from urban living. living. urban from retreat popular a is and Parks

of life. In Stockport, Local Nature Reserves are able to to able are Reserves Nature Local Stockport, In life. of Park are involved in its continuing development through through development continuing its in involved are Park It was established in 1968 as one of Britain’s first Country Country first Britain’s of one as 1968 in established was It

members of the local community with an interest in the the in interest an with community local the of members Stockport Council and is an award winning Green Flag Park. Park. Flag Green winning award an is and Council Stockport

surroundings is essential to human well-being and quality quality and well-being human to essential is surroundings

Friends of Etherow, Etherow Community Council and and Council Community Etherow Etherow, of Friends Etherow Country Park is now owned and managed by by managed and owned now is Park Country Etherow

In urban areas, access to the peace and beauty of natural natural of beauty and peace the to access areas, urban In A rural retreat retreat rural A

Etherow Etherow Local Nature Reserve Nature Local Wildlife Wildlife ? ?

A Short History of History Short A What is a a is What A haven for for haven A

Etherow Country Park & Local Nature Reserve, George St, Compstall, Stockport. SK6 5JD TEL: 0161 427 6937 Activitiesandevents A free interpreting service is available if you need help with this information. Please telephone Stockport English Language Service on 0161 477 9000 • Self guided walks and trails self guided • Angling at the mill ponds naturetrails • Model boat club • Sailing club ETHEROW • School education visits Country Park and Local Nature Reserve

• Interpretive displays in the Visitor Centre

• Practical community task days

• Themed walks

Respect for the COUNTRYSIDE

This information can be made available in audio, braille • Guard against all risk of fire and large print. Please telephone: 0161 474 4480 • Fasten all gates Visitor Centre opening times: (except Christmas Day) • Keep your dogs under close control We endeavour to open the visitor centre between 11am - 4pm Daily. • Keep to footpaths A cafeteria and toilets are located next to the Visitor Centre in the • Use gates and stiles pay and display car park. Accessible toilets are operated on a radar • Take your litter home key. Motorised wheelchairs are available free of charge by booking in advance. • Help to keep all water clean How to get to Etherow Country Park: • Protect wildlife, plants and trees Buses 383 and 384 between Stockport Central Bus • Make no unnecessary noise Station and Compstall Village via Marple and Romiley railway stations.

For leaflets and details of all events and activities, Leaflet Supported By: please contact the Visitor Centre. Tel: 0161 427 6937 self guided naturetrails ETHEROW Countr y Park and Local Nature Reser ve Keg Pool Filled by springs and rain water flowing from the surrounding hills, Keg Pool is a stretch of quiet open water, flanked by ancient woodland, marshes and the River Etherow. Originally constructed as a fishing lake by George Andrew around 1850, the shallow, sheltered water now provides an ideal home for wildfowl and many different aquatic plants and animals.

Keg Woodland The steep valley sides in this area of the Park are cloaked in species-rich ancient woodland which has been continuously wooded since at least 1600AD. The main canopy and shrub species are oak, sycamore, hazel and hawthorn. Ancient woodlands are special and support plants and animals that are not found in woodland of more recent origin.

Distances Weir Cottages - .5 mile Hirst Cottage ­ 1mile Sunny Corner - 1.25 mile Erncroft ­ 1mile Road - 1.5 mile

Ernocroft Wood Follow the ‘Coal Trail’ up and down the steep valley sides of this deciduous woodland which was re-planted with scots pine and larch when open cast mining for coal ceased in the nineteenth century. Your efforts will be rewarded with a wonderful diversity of wildflowers, birds, fungi, mosses and lichens.