Stiperstones National Nature Reserve
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Overview
The Stiperstones NNR is a spectacular six-mile ridge in southwest Shropshire rising to 1,750ft above the sea and providing dramatic scenery and an outstanding combination of geological, landscape and wildlife features. The 480 million-year-old Ordovician rocks of The Stiperstones were shattered and split during the last Ice Age to produce today’s jagged tors and boulder-strewn landscape. Much of the reserve is heathland, with bell heather and western gorse abundant on south-facing slopes, while north-facing slopes are dominated by common heather and bilberry. In the wetter areas, cross-leaved heath, bog mosses, cotton grass, bog asphodel and marsh violet thrive while grasslands species include heath speedwell, heath bedstraw and mountain pansy. Bird life includes red grouse, skylark and meadow pipit on the open heathland, stonechat and whinchat on the heathland fringe, and buzzard, raven, pied flycatcher and wood warbler in the wooded areas. Fox, brown hare, rabbit,common frog and common lizard all live on the reserve, as do many heathland insects, including grayling and green hairstreak butterflies and fox and emperor moths.
About the area
Perhaps nowhere else in England will you find a county so deeply rural and with so much variety as Shropshire. Choose a clear day, climb to the top of The Wrekin, and look down on that ‘land of lost content’ so wistfully evoked by A E Housman.
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Nearby places to stay
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Guest Accommodation
Rorrington Hall
- Rooms 3
- Free TV
- Wifi
- Open parking
Nearby places to stay
The Green Caravan Park
The Green Caravan Park is a well-established, family-friendly caravan and camping park nestled close to the stunning Shropshire Hills. The park has been under new ownership since last y...
Rorrington Hall
Rorrington Hall offers a unique adults-only bed and breakfast experience within a historic building nestled in the English countryside, offering a peaceful escape from city life. The lo...
Daisy Bank Caravan Park
Peacefully located between Craven Arms and Churchstoke and surrounded by rolling hills, this idyllic, adults-only park offers generously sized, fully serviced pitches; some with superb ...
The Longmynd
On a wooded hillside above Church Stretton, close to England’s border with Wales, stands The Longmynd. Watch the sunrise from your balcony, then stride out on the moorland plateau of Lo...
Victoria House
Victoria House is a handsome townhouse in the centre of Church Stretton and a popular base for walkers heading to the nearby Shropshire Hills. The rear garden overlooks a stunning 11th-...
Stoney Acres Luxury Holiday Park
Stoney Acres is located on the edge of Dorrington village within easy reach of Shrewsbury and Ludlow. It's a purpose-built, adults-only park surrounded by honey stone walls and a river....
Cartref Caravan & Camping
Located in the peaceful hamlet of Ford Heath, less than five miles from Shrewsbury, this carefully designed adults-only holiday destination is ideal for caravans and motorhomes. Pitches...
Court Farm Bed and Breakfast
Located in the village of Gretton, this Grade II listed stone-built Georgian house is on a 330-acre working farm, and its bedrooms overlook the pretty gardens. Home to the Norris family...
