Whixall Moss (Shropshire)
Whixall and Bettisfield Reserve is a national nature reserve which straddles the border between England and Wales, near Whixall and Ellesmere in Shropshire, England and Bettisfield in Wrexham County Borough, Wales.
It is managed by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales (replacing the former Countryside Council for Wales) and comprises three peat bogs, Bettisfield Moss, Fenn’s Moss and Whixall Moss. Fenn’s Moss is the source of the Wych Brook, a tributary of the River Dee. The River Roden, a tributary of the River Tern, also rises in the vicinity and forms part of the border of England and Wales near Wem Moss (see below). The Llangollen Canal runs near the southern edge of the reserve and the Ellesmere Canal joins it nearby
These Mosses are the only sites in the Midlands for the rare Large Heath. There are 3 subspecies of large heath, the Whixall one is subspecies “davus”.
Walk Details
Walk number 1 in Butterflies of the West Midlands (Available in our Shop)