Ketley Paddock Mound Nature Reserve

The Ketley Paddock Mound is a treasured 11 acre site in the heart of Ketley. Completely surrounded by housing it provides a haven for wildlife and provides far reaching views of the surrounding countryside.

It was formed by coal and iron ore working in the 18th century but nature has now reclaimed the abandoned pit mounds. The vegetation is predominantly mixed woodland of oak and birch and acidic grassland. The site also has three bodies of water, the largest of which is the remnant of the former Ketley Canal. At the summit of the main southern mound the grass is kept short, providing a large play and reception area.

The area is a haven for wildlife with sightings of moth, bats, pond life including smooth newts, toads, great diving beetle, damselfly nymphs, three spine stickleback, caddis fly larvae as well as sightings of tawny owl and hedgehog.