Wybunbury Moss NNR
Wybunbury Moss NNR is situated in south Cheshire, at the centre of the 'Meres and Mosses' Natural Area, where it forms part of a series of peat bogs or 'Mosses'.
County: Cheshire
Main habitats: Peatland
Area: 17 Ha
Site map: Nature on the Map
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Like other Mosses in the area, the origins of Wybunbury lie in the last Ice Age when ice movement and erosion created depressions which over time filled with peat. At Wybunbury subsequent subsidence of the underlying rocks has left a raft of peat floating on an underground lake, one of only three such examples in the UK.
The peat raft is carpeted in Sphagnum (bog) moss, along with cotton sedge, cranberry, bog rosemary and the insect-eating sundew. The Moss is also important for its insect populations which includes two rare spiders and a beetle which is found nowhere else in England.
As well as the peat raft, the reserve area includes reedswamp, woodland and meadows where marsh violet and heath-spotted orchid can be found.
Please note that access to the reserve is limited to permit holders or escorted tours because of the dangerous nature of the floating raft. However, public footpaths through the surrounding meadows provide views of this spectacular site.
Location and access
The reserve is located 6km south of Crewe, and immediately to the north of the village of Wybunbury.
By car, access to the reserve is via minor roads from the M6 and the A500.
Bus services connect Wybunbury with Nantwich and Crewe.
The nearest train stations are Nantwich and Crewe.
Facilities
There are no on-site facilities. The nearest refreshment facilities are in Wybunbury village.
