7. Go Off the Beaten Track – at Wetley Moor Common

Wetley Moor Common in Werrington, is only a few miles away from Stoke-on-Trent but feels well off the beaten track. Its wild and rural setting make this Staffordshire Moorlands country park the perfect place for bird spotting. These 70 hectares of common heathland is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) managed by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.

Heathland landscapes were created 4,000 years ago when trees on poor soils were cleared for grazing. Lowland heathland is of European importance as a habitat for wildlife.

Heather, gorse, and purple moor grass are home to whitethroat, linnet, reed bunting, meadow pipits and the rarer grasshopper warblers. Patches of peripheral scrub support willow tit and if you’re lucky, you’ll hear the unmistakeable song of the skylark resounding off these heather-covered lowlands too.

There is a long history of mining and quarrying dating from 1698 up to the more recent bell pits that were dug during the 1920's. Early records from 1220 indicate links to Abbey Hulton.

There are marked walks from the small, free car park off Armshead Road.  Follow in the tracks of an ancient pack horse route along Saltway – some of the original, well-trodden stones are still visible. There is a triangulation point at 830 feet - the highest point of the common, with spectacular views of the rest of the reserve.

Paths can be very muddy so do wear appropriate footwear. 

Address: Wetley Moor, Armshead Road, Werrington, ST9 0EL