PARROTS DRUMBLE NATURE RESERVE TALKE PITS STAFFORDSHIRE

A hidden gem of a reserve, with possibly the finest display of bluebells in the County
Location
Parrot's Drumble
Talke Pits
Staffordshire
ST7 1UH (nearest)
*To the north of Stoke-on-Trent
Talke Pits
ST7 1UH (nearest)
A static map of Parrot's Drumble
Know before you go
Size
12 hectares
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Entry fee
No
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Parking information
There is no parking at the reserve, but there is a small parking area within the industrial estate from where the reserve is signposted
Grazing animals
No
Walking trails
Gentle walking with some short inclines, but can be uneven and wet in places.
No kissing gates present
Contact the Trust for disabled access information.
Access
No carpark access from industrial estate where reserve is signposted from
No kissing gates present
Gentle walking with some short inclines, but can be uneven and wet in places.
Dogs
On a lead
When to visit
Opening times
Open at all times
Best time to visit
April to May
About the reserve
Highlights
Visit in spring to enjoy the woodland flora at its best or take an early morning ramble to hear the dawn chorus.
Walk through the woodlands at any time of year and enjoy the peace and quiet of this reserve - you wouldn’t know you were so close to a major industrial area!
An ancient place
Parrot's Drumble is one of the Trust’s finest ancient woodland nature reserves. Ancient woodland is a phrase used to describe woodlands that have been continuously covered by trees since the 1600’s. That doesn’t mean the trees here are 400 years old (most of the trees here are significantly younger than that!), but it does mean that for the last 400 years there has always been woodland on this land. This has enabled special woodland plants to become established and thrive. As well as the carpets of bluebells In spring you will also see dog’s mercury, wood anemone, yellow archangel and wood sorrel. Moschatel, more commonly known as Town Hall Clock, can be easily overlooked - look carefully for its pale green ‘square’ flower heads. You won’t find many of these flowers in more recently planted woodlands.
So, where are the Parrots?
The reserve derives it’s unusual name from a combination of its previous owners, the Parrot family, and a local term for a stream running through a wooded valley, drumble.
You may not see anything quite as colourful as a parrot but the woodland is a wonderful place for birds, particularly in spring when an early morning walk would reward you with the wonderful sounds of the dawn chorus.
Listen out for blue tits, willow tits, wrens and willow warblers. Both greater and lesser spotted woodpeckers are found here - listen out for them pecking holes in the tree trunks as they look for insects. Nuthatches and tree creepers can often be seen spiralling up and down the trunks of the mature trees.

[@naturewalks]

Perfect video my friend! Keep the good work going on, all the best for next video!

[@DarylPritchardvideos]

Thanks so much