A linear site following 1.25 km stretch of Cecilly Brook in Cheadle, home to water vole and wild flower meadows. The site can be accessed via the valley walk footpath from Ullswater Drive, Ashbourne Road (B5032), Oakamoor Road (B5417) Mill Road and Rakeway Road. Access from other footpaths include from Bittern Lane, Dale Close, Maple Close, Cedar Close and through Thorley Drive Playing Fields. Parking is available at South Moorlands Leisure Centre, Allen Street, Cheadle.

View Cecilly Brook on Google maps by clicking here.

 

Disabled Access

There is a surfaced path along three quarters of the site suitable for disabled access.

The site is a mix of species rich grassland managed as a hay meadow, scrub and mature hedgerows. Cecilly Brook is one of the most important sites for water voles in Staffordshire. Look out for water vole and kingfisher along the brook. Ancient flower rich meadows occur at the brook edge near Thorley Drive. Mature hawthorn and blackthorn hedges surround the fields with dog rose, elder and hazel.  Ivy and honeysuckle provide rich nectar sources for insects.  Song thrush, dunnock, hedge sparrow, siskin and bullfinch are some of the birds occurring in the surrounding hedges. Summer butterflies include meadow brown or speckled wood.