Cleaver Heath

Cleaver Heath c. Andrew Walmsley

Cleaver Heath c. Andrew Walmsley

Cleaver Heath

Cleaver Heath

Willow warbler

Willow warbler

Common blue

Common blue

Cleaver Heath and Dee Estuary c. Claire Huxley

Cleaver Heath and Dee Estuary c. Claire Huxley

A heathland with views out across the Dee Estuary towards north Wales, great for reptiles and butterflies.

Location

Oldfield Road,
Heswall
Cheshire
CH60 6SG
A static map of Cleaver Heath

Know before you go

Size
3 hectares
z

Entry fee

No

Walking trails

The reserve itself has a short paths through the heather and woodland fringe. It can form part of a larger loop walk through nearby Heswall Dales Local Nature Reserve, Dungeon Woods, Wirral Country Park and the Wirral Way. The views of the Dee Estuary are unparalleled.

Access

The main entrance is on Oldfield Road. The main paths are level but are not suitable for wheel chairs being narrow and uneven in places.

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

March to June is best for singing birds. Butterflies are abundant on sunny days in May to August. The Heather and Western Gorse are most colourful in July and August. The sunsets can be spectacular all year round. A variety of fungi can be seen in autumn.

About the reserve

With stunning views sweeping across the Dee estuary, Cleaver Heath is an important heathland on the Wirral and the perfect reserve for an evening stroll at sunset.

A carpet of purple shades of heather and bright yellow gorse in summer is bisected by a footpath running lengthways through the reserve allowing close-up views of the heathland plants and insects. You may be lucky and come across a common lizard basking on the paths or scuttling from one side to the other.

Near the main entrance, a range of flowering plants usually attract a variety of butterflies. The surrounding woodlands are home to a wide range of woodland birds all year round as well as a range of visiting warblers which come to breed in summer. Linnets also breed here. Kestrels are often seen hunting voles in the heath . Winter visiting birds include woodcock and redwing.

A total of 50 bird species have been recorded here. An important component of the habitat here is the scrub associated with the heathland. This provides cover and feeding opportunities for all sorts of wildlife. Mammals seen include foxes, badgers, bats, voles and shrews.

Contact us

Cheshire Wildlife Trust
Contact number: 01948 820728
Contact email: info@cheshirewt.org.uk

Environmental designation

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Cheshire's Last Refuges Appeal

Help us protect wildlife refuges like Cleaver Heath
£

Wildlife sightings at Cleaver Heeath