South Solway Mosses NNR is a composite of 3 large lowland raised bogs: Bowness Common, Glasson Moss and Wedholme Flow. Main habitat: lowland raised bog The reserve (land owned and leased by Natural England) covers 1000ha of the South Solway Mosses Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Features of interest Local plant life includes a range of sphagnum species, hare’s-tail cotton grass, bog rosemary, cranberry, and cross-leaved heath. All 3 native sundew species are present. A range of breeding birds is found on the reserve including sparrowhawk, curlew, snipe, sedge and grasshopper warblers. Invertebrates found include large heath butterfly, bog bush cricket and banded demoiselle dragonfly. Safety You should wear suitable footwear on the reserve – wellies are required except on the boardwalk on the north edge of Glasson Moss. Sometimes there is machinery operating on the reserve; please keep away unless you need to contact the operator. If you do, approach from the front, stop before you get too close and wait for the operator to stop. Deep peaty pools can be found all over the bogs, if you step in you’ll get wet and mucky but it is easy to get out. Be aware there are also a number of deep, steep-sided open water filled drains; please treat these like any other natural water body - do not enter if you do not think you will get out. Directions South Solway Mosses NNR is in North Cumbria, centred around Kirkbride which is 12 miles west of Carlisle on the Solway coast or 6 miles north of Wigton on the A596. Bowness Common and Glasson Moss are north of the B5307, near the villages of Glasson, Whitrigg and Bowness-on-Solway. Wedholme Flow is south of the B5307, near the villages of Newton Arlosh and Kirkbride. Glasson and Bowness-on-Solway are on route 72 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network. The nearest train station is in Wigton (6 miles to the south). For details of local bus services go to the Traveline website. By car, access to the area is via minor roads from the B3507 (Carlisle to Silloth road) and A595/ A596 (Carlisle to Aspatria road). Two major trails cross the area, the Cumbria Coastal Way and the Hadrian’s Wall Path. Contact NorthCumbriaNNRs@naturalengland.org.uk
Natural England
Unit 4
Sycamore House
Kirkbride
Cumbria
CA7 5JZ
Natural England general enquiries:
Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 060 6000