We were looking for somewhere to go for a walk that was quite near us but which we hadn’t been to before so we looked in “Where To Watch Birds : North West England & The Isle of Man” by Alan Conlin, Chris Sharpe, Judith Smith, J.P. Cullen Dr., et al. and came up with Etherow Country Park and Local Nature Reserve which has a web site here.
Once part of the estate of a cotton magnate, the reserve is now an interesting site that combines duck pond and sailing lake with riverine woodlands and small pools and mature woodland. The further you go into the site, the fewer people there are so whilst there are a lot of children and dog walkers etc., the further reaches are very peaceful and full of birds. Continue reading