About the reserve

Set in the heart of the Gordano Valley, Weston Moor is an expansive area of open moor, which includes three fields situated along the limestone ridge west of Weston-in-Gordano.

Networked with species-rich rhynes, the wet grassland is important for its breeding waders and rare plants such as cotton grass, marsh pennywort, yellow sedge, lesser butterfly orchid, frog-bit and fen pondweed.

Look out for hairy dragonfly and ruddy darter hunting above the rhynes. The Trust and Natural England have created a raised water level area across the reserve and the neighbouring Gordano Valley National Nature Reserve to encourage winter splash flooding. These timid waders find the waterlogged conditions of the fields to their benefit because of the readily available source of invertebrates.

Other birds such as little owl, linnet, reed bunting and skylark also breed in the area. Sparrowhawk, buzzard and green woodpecker are regularly recorded over the reserve.

This site was purchased and managed through support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, YANSEC, the Alan Evans Memorial Trust, Countryside Commission and public donation.