Red Moss, Greater Manchester facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Greater Manchester |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SD635104 |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 47.2 hectares (117 acres) |
Red Moss is a unique wetland area known as a mossland in Greater Manchester, England. You can find it south of Horwich and east of Blackrod. This special place is a national Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the United Kingdom. It's protected because it has many different kinds of plants and animals, and it's mostly untouched by human activity.
Scientists have studied pollen found deep in the peat of Red Moss. They discovered that the first peat layers in this area formed around 8,000 years BC. This means Red Moss is an amazing 10,000 years old! The entire mossland covers about 47.2 hectares, which is roughly the size of 70 football fields.
During the 1800s, archaeologists found ancient human remains in Red Moss. These remains were from the Bronze Age or early Iron Age. This shows that people lived in or visited the area a very long time ago.
Most of Red Moss is owned by the Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council. However, some parts of the site also belong to British Rail and United Utilities.
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Helping Red Moss Grow
Since 1999, a group called the Trust has been working hard to help Red Moss. They are doing big projects to make the mossland healthier.
Raising Water Levels
One important thing they do is block drainage ditches. These ditches were built a long time ago and drained water away from the moss. By blocking them, the Trust helps to raise the water levels in the mossland. Higher water levels are very important for the special plants that grow in mosslands.
Protecting the Mossland
The Trust has also created "baulkways." These are like raised strips of land that help to separate the mossland from nearby areas. This means that Red Moss now gets its water only from rainfall. This helps to protect the site from pollution that might come from other places.
New Growth and Future Hopes
Thanks to this work, the water levels have gone up a lot. Now, many mossland plants are starting to grow well over a larger part of the site. The people working on Red Moss hope that in the future, many plant and animal species that had disappeared will be able to live there again.
