Jacksons' Brickworks Local Nature Reserve
Nature Reserves, Country Parks & Beaches · Poynton, Cheshire
No reviews yet
🌳 Outdoor0–11–33–55–88–1212–16🆓 Free entry🌲 WoodlandEducational
What’s there
- Free parking
- Dogs welcome
Free car park at Jacksons' Brickworks, Poolhouse Road, with horse box spaces available (council page).
Only facilities we’ve confirmed are listed — anything missing here we simply haven’t checked, rather than know to be absent.
Jacksons' Brickworks is a local nature reserve in Higher Poynton, where a former industrial site has been left to recover into a mix of wetland, grassland, semi-natural woodland and scrub. The council describes it as a place reclaimed by nature, with many ponds and a lake, and it is known for wildlife such as dragonflies, butterflies, moths and birds. Information boards along the paths suggest walking routes and show recent wildlife sightings, and two benches sit beside the paths. A wheelchair-accessible route runs onto the nearby Middlewood Way. Cheshire East's countryside rangers run guided walks and family wildlife events here, and the reserve is used for educational visits. It suits families who enjoy short, unhurried walks and spotting wildlife, and it sits close to the Macclesfield Canal towpath for a longer outing.
Questions parents ask
- Can I walk round it with a buggy and both a toddler and an older child?
- There is a wheelchair accessible route onto the Middlewood Way via two radar padlocked field gates, and the site has path-side benches for rest stops. We haven't confirmed whether all paths are buggy-friendly, so contact the ranger to ask about the specific routes you'd use.
- Is there somewhere to eat, or should we bring a picnic?
- We haven't confirmed a café at the reserve. You're welcome to bring a picnic, though we haven't confirmed a dedicated picnic area either — contact the ranger service to ask about the best spots to eat.
- How long should we allow?
- The reserve is 9½ hectares with several suggested walking routes marked on information boards and recent wildlife sightings displayed. Allow at least an hour for a gentle explore, longer if you're doing a guided walk or serious birdwatching.
- Does it work in bad weather?
- It's an outdoor woodland site with paths, so heavy rain and muddy ground may make it difficult, especially with younger children. The car park closes at dusk, but the reserve is accessible on foot at all times, including in poor weather.
- What should we bring that people forget?
- Binoculars for wildlife watching, a bird identification guide, and waterproof clothes — the wetland habitats and woodland paths can be damp even when it hasn't recently rained. Dogs are welcome if kept on a lead, and there's a dog waste bin on site.
Stuff to take with you
The things people wish they’d packed for a day out like this one.
Wellies- Puddle suitThe only way a toddler stays dry at a farm in February.
Refillable water bottleMost places will fill it for free.
Snacks that survive a rucksackCheaper than the café, and buys you twenty minutes.
Walkie-talkiesLets them roam without you losing them.
Waterproof trousers- Bubble wandSettles a meltdown faster than anything in the café.
Tissues- Travel games
- Pushchair buggy board
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Photos: Anna Tesar, CC BY 2.0 · Варвара Каминская, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Web-Betty, CC BY 2.0
Reviews
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