Witherley Mill
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
Access is from Mill Lane in the centre of Witherley village.
Permissive access (Defra farm conservation scheme)
Total species seen at this site:
This large semi-improved grassland field borders the River Anker along the west and is the site of the former Witherley Mill. The remnant mill race bisects the centre of the site, providing a mainly marshy habitat with some areas of shallow standing water. A large pond lies to the north of the site. The field is used for grazing cattle and has a few scattered shrubs around the site, mainly Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and Holly Ilex ilicis. A few standard trees have been planted within fenced cages to prevent cattle access. The whole field is open access as part of a Stewardship agreement with DEFRA.
The grassland was a varied mixture of Perrenial Rye-grass Lolium perenne, Yorkshire Fog Holcus lanatus, Meadow Foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, Timothy Phleum pratense, Creeping Bent Agrostis stolonifera with some Crested Dog’s-tail Cynosurus cristatus. Wildflowers include White Clover Trifolium repens, Yarrow Achillea millefolium and Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens, with a few specimens of Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris.
The old mill race and pond add significantly to the biodiversity interest and support a good range of wetland plants, including Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria, Fool’s Water-cress Apium nodiflorum, Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides, Celery-leaved Buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus and Water Figwort Scrophularia auriculata.
The river edge adds further interest and supports species such as Reed Canary-grass Phalaris arundinacea, Common Club-rush Schoenoplectus lacustris and Unbranched Bur-reed Sparganium emersum.
A good diversity of invertebrates are found here, particularly around the wetland areas. These include Azure Damselfy Coenagrion puella, Blue-tailed Damselfy Ischnura elegans, Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens, Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum, Green Leaf-hopper Cicadella viridis, Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus and Small Skipper Butterfly Thymelicus sylvestris.
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