Wildlife in Cheshire

Cheshire holds a variety of different landscapes, which are home to a huge number of plants and animals, some common and some rare or endangered.

Fertile lowlands cover most of Cheshire, broken up by the rugged mid-Cheshire ridge which runs north-south across the county, and the fringes of the Pennines extending into the far east of the county. In between, rivers, their flood plains and estuaries are a haven for birds, some resident and many more visiting migrants. Cheshire’s many lakes and ponds, some glacial in origin and some man-made, make the county a paradise for aquatic life, such as the endangered great crested newt. Our woodlands include fragments of the WildWood, the ancient forest which covered most of the country in prehistoric times.

Cheshire has much to offer anyone who enjoys wildlife or being outdoors. Whether you want to ramble along quiet footpaths or explore more rugged scenery, if you are a keen botanist or bird watcher, or just enjoy the wildlife that can be seen from the kitchen window, Cheshire Wildlife Trust can help you get the most from our countryside.

Historical Perspective
Our countryside has been shaped by thousands of years of history

Woodlands
Find out more about Cheshire’s many different types of woodland

Grasslands
Explore the beauty of our few remaining flower-rich meadows

Ponds
Why is Cheshire the ‘Pond Capital of Europe’?

Estuaries
Estuaries, internationally important for their birdlife

Heathland
Find out more about our heathlands, a rare and fragile habitat

Meres and Mosses
Cheshire’s Meres and Mosses are unique to the north-west