Chorlton Ees Nature Reserve: We walk through nature in one of Manchester’s most scenic wildlife areas

There is a beautiful hidden gem of nature on the doorstep of busy, bustling Manchester city centre. The Chorlton Ees Nature Reserve is around 50 hectares of walking trails, meadows and woodland at the heart of the city-region - covering roughly the same space as 140 football fields.

It is a site of huge biological importance and is a popular place for walkers, runners and cyclists to visit in the local area.

Chorlton Ees used to be used for sewage draining, but Withington Sewage works closed in 1972 and in the last 50 years the land has seen significant change. Ponds have been dug out to improve the area's diversity for wildlife, thousands of trees have been planted to turn it into an attractive woodland, and cattle have grazed in the meadows.

Nowadays, Chorlton Ees is somewhere well-known to Chorlton locals, but many Manchester residents may be unaware of this patch of nature so close to their front door.