Wildlife reserves · North West England
Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve
In or near Croft.
Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve — nature reserve in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England.
Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–4 h
- Best time of year
- Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
- Nearest railway station
- Glazebrook · 2.6 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve, the nearest railway station is Glazebrook, which is 2.6 km away. Entry to the reserve is free, and it is managed by Natural England. The postcode for sat-nav is WA3 5PP.
About
Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: national nature reserve. Managed by Natural England. Wikidata describes it as: "nature reserve in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England". Coordinates: 53.4508°, -2.4713°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- National Nature Reserve: RISLEY, HOLCROFT AND CHAT MOSS
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve is a national nature reserve in Cheshire and Greater Manchester in England, designated in 2025. It consists of eleven sites of varied lowland peat areas.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The King's Series of National Nature Reserves was launched in May 2023, to celebrate the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla, with five major National Nature Reserves named every year for five years, 25 in total. The first was the Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve. The Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve is part of the King's Series of National Nature Reserves. It was declared by Natural England on 4 March 2025, and officially launched on 14 July 2025.
Description
Its area is 529 ha, lying in the parishes of Birchwood, Culcheth and Glazebury, and Rixton-with-Glazebrook in Cheshire; and in the Metropolitan Boroughs of Salford and Wigan in Greater Manchester. It consists of eleven sites of varied lowland peat areas, including raised bog, fen, lowland heath and wet woodland. It includes Risley Moss, a local nature reserve in Cheshire; Holcroft Moss, a nature reserve of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust; The reserve is managed by Natural England, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Forestry England, The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside, Warrington Borough Council, Wigan Council and Woodland Trust. Mary Creagh, the Parliamentary…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 53.4508, -2.4713
- District
- Salford
- Parish
- Salford, unparished area
- Postcode
- WA3 5PP
- Parliamentary constituency
- Worsley and Eccles
- Nearest railway station
- Glazebrook — 2.6 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q136434365 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
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Holcroft Hall
Historic houses · 0.8 km
Promontory fort 300m west of Great Woolden Hall Farm
Vineyards · 1.5 km
Holcroft Moss
Wildlife reserves · 1.6 km
Cadishead and Little Woolden Moss
Wildlife reserves · 1.8 km
Glazebrook
Villages · 2.6 km
Glazebrook railway station
Heritage railway stations · 2.6 km
Encounter
Wildlife reserves · 2.7 km
Encounter
Public art & sculpture · 2.7 km
Glazebury
Villages · 2.8 km
The Millennium Garden
Public art & sculpture · 3.2 km
Irlam
Castles · 3.3 km
Culcheth
Historic churches · 3.3 km
Nearby
📷 3Historic houses · North West England
Holcroft Hall
Holcroft Hall — Grade II* listed privately owned historic house in Culcheth, Cheshire, England, UK.
📷 5Vineyards · North West England
Promontory fort 300m west of Great Woolden Hall Farm
Promontory fort 300m west of Great Woolden Hall Farm — a UK vineyard in england west midlands, producing English or Welsh wine from cool-climate grape varieties.
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Holcroft Moss
Holcroft Moss — nature reserve in Cheshire.
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Cadishead and Little Woolden Moss
Cadishead and Little Woolden Moss — nature reserve in Greater Manchester, England.
📷 5📷 5Heritage railway stations · North West England
Glazebrook railway station
Glazebrook railway station — a Grade II-listed railway station in england-west-midlands, United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve
Places to stay
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Holly Bank Caravan Park
Holly Bank Caravan Park — a campsite in england west midlands.
📷 5Campsites · North West England
Hollinwood Scout Camp
Hollinwood Scout Camp — a campsite in england west midlands.
📷 5Hostels · North West England
Riverside Project
Riverside Project — a hostel in england west midlands.
📷 5Campsites · North West England
5th Urmston (Aquilifer) Scout Camp Site
5th Urmston (Aquilifer) Scout Camp Site — a campsite in england west midlands.
📷 5Caravan parks · North West England
Fairview Caravan Park
Fairview Caravan Park — a caravan park in england north west.
📷 4Caravan parks · North West England
Ella View Lodge
Ella View Lodge — a caravan park in england north west.
Places to eat & drink
📷 5Historic pubs · North West England
The Grapes Hotel
The Grapes Hotel in England North West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · North West England
Worsley Old Hall
Worsley Old Hall in England North West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · North West England
Stanley Arms
Stanley Arms in England North West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · North West England
Queens Arms
Queens Arms in England North West, United Kingdom.
📷 7
📷 5Historic pubs · North West England
Lamb Hotel, Eccles
Lamb Hotel, Eccles in England North West, United Kingdom.
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve?
- Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve is in the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode WA3 5PP), in the parish of Salford, unparished area.
- What is Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve?
- Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve — nature reserve in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England.
- How do I get to Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve?
- The nearest railway station is Glazebrook, about 2.6 km away. Drivers can use postcode WA3 5PP.
- Who runs Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve?
- Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve is operated by Natural England.
- Is Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve a listed building?
- Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve is officially recognised as national nature reserve listed.
- Is Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve a protected site?
- Yes — Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve is part of the RISLEY, HOLCROFT AND CHAT MOSS National Nature Reserve.
- Is Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve free to visit?
- Yes, Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve is free to enter.
- How do I get to Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve?
- The nearest railway station is Glazebrook, about 2.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode WA3 5PP.