Ford Green Nature Reserve, also known as Whitfield Valley Nature Reserve, is situated just off Ford Green Road behind Ford Green Hall, and is one of the largest reserves in the city boasting a wide range of habitats. The Ford Green Brook flows through the site and there are patches of grassland, hay meadow, heathland, hedgerow, ponds and scattered trees. Ford Green Reedbed, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is located at the southern end of the nature reserve and many ducks and other water birds breed and overwinter here. At the northern end of the Reserve the spoil heap from the Chatterley Whitfield Colliery affords great views of the area and is colonised by bird-foot trefoil which supports the largest known colony of dingy skipper butterflies in the West Midlands.

Skylark and grey partridge are often seen in the grasssland and barn owls and kestrels hunt across the valley. Other notable flora and fauna include water vole, yellow rattle and snipe. The plantation at the reserve is largely made up of poplar, rowan and white willow trees with occasional crack willow and maple. A few ash, field maple and small-leaved lime (rare in Staffordshire) are present whilst the ground flora is dominated by yorkshire-fog grass and cock's foot. Teasel, which is uncommon in Staffordshire, can be found in small numbers in the ground flora.

Ford Green Nature Reserve was declared as such in 1991, and has been regularly maintained by the local Council since then

For more information please contact Stoke-on-Trent City Council, where you can find out about Ford Green Nature Reserve and other local parks, at 01782 331889

This is an unofficial website for Ford Green Nature Reserve, ran and maintained by Smallthorne Village Residents Association

Your local RSPCA branch is North Staffordshire. To find out more information, or to visit there website please click here

The former Nature Reserve group is starting up again. For more info, call Neil Dawson (Group member) at 079 527 24396