The information sign is situated on a black metal structure named Longton Road, located near the steps up to Longton Road adjacent to Hem Heath Bridge 106 on the Trent and Mersey Canal.
The sign has a picture of an English Oak Tree, the plant Sanicle, a Treecreeper bird and the following information;
"HEM HEATH & NEWSTEAD WOODS
The 75 acre reserve consists of two separate blocks of mixed and broad leaved woodland areas - Hem Heath and Newstead, owned by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and Wedgwood, respectively. They are situated in Trentham, an urban fringe area on the southern boundary of the City of Stoke-on-Trent.
The woodlands can be accessed through the car park located off Longton Road.
The reserve, presently managed by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, was originally part of the Newstead Estate and was planted with a grid system of rides during the mid-C19th. Newstead Woods and the Oaks to the south east are included in the Ancient Woodland Inventory for Staffordshire and have a distinct semi-natural ancient woodland flora and structure.
There is extensive archaeological evidence from remaining ridge and furrows that both Newpark and Hem Heath Plantations were previously agricultural farmland.
The 'Oaks' and part of Newstead Wood areas contain a distinctive acidic woodland flora with an oak canopy, a hazel/rowan understorey and a birch canopy with a bracken/bluebell understorey respectively.
Both plantations have a surprisingly diverse flora, containing species such as bluebells, wood sorell and locally notable species such as figwort, wood sanicle and broad leaved helleborine. The main planted trees are hardwood timber species such as oak, ash, sycamore, beech and cherry.
Following heavy thinning of the sycamore canopy in Hem Heath a diverse understorey has developed beneath including such species as holly, hawthorn, rowan and hazel. This management has also benefitted the number of breeding bird species including: chiff chaff, willow warbler, nuthatch and treecreeper. The colourful jay also occurs and common lizards were recently discovered. There is an extensive list of fungi recorded on the reserve.
The pond in Hem Heath is Surrounded by a number of alder and willow trees. The marshy area around the pond supports reed canary grass, greater reedmace, floating sweetgrass, water horsetail and marsh cinquefoil.
Information supplied by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. Drawing adapted from Reader's Digest wild life books.
Also on the bottom of the sign (with emblems)
This project is being part financed by the European Community- European Regional Development Fund
City of Stoke-on-Trent
Groundworks Stoke-on-Trent
British Waterways
Stokeworks
Advantage West Midlands
The Coalfilelds Regeneration Trust
Staffordshire Environmental Fund
Biffa investing in the environment"
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The Trent and Mersey Canal is a 93.5-mile long canal (150.5 km) in the East Midlands, West Midlands, and north-west of England, from Shadlow to Preston Brook. The first sod was cut by Josiah Wedgwood in July 1766 year Middleport, Stoke-on-Trent. The canal was completed in 1777 and included more than 70 locks and five tunnels, with the company headquarters in Stone. (
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A map showing the canal can be seen on the back of the black metal structure.