Northwest Ecological Trust

Gorse Hill Nature Reserve

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The Northwest Ecological Trust owns and operates Gorse Hill Nature Reserve
 
Situated on the northern and western slopes of Gaw Hill, a sandstone ridge overlooking the West Lancashire Plain near Ormskirk. Gorse Hill Nature Reserve was founded in 1996  on former agricultural land. The Reserve has grown to slightly over one hundred acres and has reinstated many of the historical landscape features that existed in the past.   To date the trust has:-
 
  • Planted over 20,000 native trees .
  • Planted over 5 miles of mixed native hedgerow.
  • Created 8 ponds.
  • Dammed a stream to create ponds, reedbeds & wetlands.
  • Created wildflower meadows.
  • Become custodians of several rare breeds of sheep such as North Ronaldsay and Hebridean and the rare Eriskay pony.

See the page on the history of the Gorse Hill Nature Reserve site.

 

 


 Early Purple Orchid - a feature of the woodland and meadows


   Wildflower meadows are gradually being developed

Rare Breed North Ronaldsay Sheep - conservation graze the meadows over the winter months

The sheep prepare to leave us in the spring