Castern Wood

Our August Bank Holiday Monday was spent at Castern Wood  It certainly isn't one of the easiest  Staffordshire Wildlife Trusts reserves to find but it is well worth a visit!
Having driven down a very muddy, narrow lane we then opened a field gate and drove along the side of the field following a rough track to the reserve.

Despite the rain the Manifold Valley still looked magnificent from up here!

 But of course we can't just enjoy the views we need to explore the reserve, so we needed to make our way down there too!

pausing at times to enjoy the flowers.
Unfortunately the weather wasn't great for butterflies today, but normally this is a great place to watch them fluttering around too!

scabious

 We eventually came to the path leading to the lower part of the reserve.

 And near to the valley floor was this adit to an old lead mine known as Hurts Deep Level,  nowadays this a bat cave, home to five species of bat: Natterer's, Daubenton, Brant's, Brown long-eared and whiskered


Bat cave

 So once at the valley floor we needed to make the ascent, camera away, How fit am I? Not very!!!!!!!!