About the reserve

In the far north of Derbyshire, the moorland and gritstone edges were once covered with sessile oak woodland.

Much of this has now been cleared, but pockets remain as here at Brockholes Wood. The woodland lies mostly downhill of a quarry and also contains hairy birch and rowan, the berries providing food for mistle thrushes, blackbirds and fieldfare in autumn.

Many other birds enjoy the cover of the woodland - these include tree pipit, wren, willow warbler, redstart and blue tit. Above the quarry there are fewer trees, and here you will find typical moorland plants such as heather, bilberry, wavy hair grass and purple moor grass.