Wetley Moor is an area of Common Land situated in Werrington on the edge of Stoke-on-Trent. In November 2022, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust took on management of 123 hectares of the registered common land which dates back to 1220. This land contains about 70 hectares of nationally important lowland heathland.

The common land has open access for pedestrians and is much valued for its beautiful views. Traditional management practices like controlled grazing and scrub clearance created the open aspect of the common and wildlife habitats present today.

This heathland is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of the mix of bilberry, heather and wildlife such as kestrels, owls, warblers, stonechats, hares, solitary bees and wasps, and grasshoppers. This habitat relies on the underlying acid soils and the traditional management of the site.

Lowland heathland like that at Wetley Moor, is very rare in the UK and around the globe. To maintain and enhance the heathland for wildlife requires continued active management. Without this, scrub and then woodland, would encroach on the moor. Unfortunately, the wildlife habitat of Wetley Moor SSSI is currently classed as ‘unfavourable’ due to excess of purple moor- grass, thick carpets of moss, and encroaching plants like willow herb. To improve the health and biodiversity of the reserve, we can use several management options to help keep pervasive species in check.

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust invite your views on the future management of Wetley Moor.  What makes Wetley Moor special to you? What management techniques do you feel are appropriate to Wetley Moor? Are there any other considerations that you would like taken into account? To inform a new management plan Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is keen to know your views.

Please provide your views on the listed management options in the spaces below. These comments will be collected and considered as we further develop our management of Wetley Moor Common.