Taddington Moor High Mere - Taddington, Derbyshire - Flora and Fauna Information Signs on Waymarking.com

The mere has been restored to encourage a range of wildlife, including the Great Crested Newt, a species which does well in the Peak District, thanks to the large number of meres and dew-ponds.

"Taddington Moor is a limestone hill between the villages of Taddington, Flagg and Chelmorton in the Derbyshire Peak District. The moor is an upland farming landscape. The summit at Sough Top is 438 metres (1,437 ft) above sea level.

Five Wells is a Neolithic chambered tomb on Taddington Moor and it is a protected scheduled ancient monument. It was first excavated by the local archaeologist Thomas Bateman in 1846. He discovered the remains of at least twelve human skeletons in the stone-paved chambers.

Taddington High Mere (on the edge of the moor south of Taddington village) is an ancient pond, formed during the Ice Age. It is a scarce water source on the White Peak limestone plateau. It was recorded in 1690 by John Orme as 'the great pond or meare called Taddington high Meare'. The ancient packhorse track Oriss Road passed the mere. In 2004 the mere was restored by volunteers from Taddington village with funding from the Countryside Agency.

The Pennine Bridleway and the Midshires Way trails follow the same route north-south across the moor to the east of Chelmorten and Calton Hill. The Limestone Way long-distance footpath also runs north-south across the moor between Flagg and The Waterloo pub on the A6 road."

SOURCE - (visit link)

The info board tells us about the wildlife that lives in and around the mere. The exposed mud is home to various larvae and beetles, and provides a goor foraging ground for birds. The shallow waters of the mere are home to freshwater shrimp, caddis fly larvae and tadpoles, also marginal plants such as marsh marigold, water forget-me-not and rushes. Floating leaved plants like duckweed and broad leaf pondweed can be found in the deeper water, as well as water boatmen, frogs and newts. This is a good habitat for the protected great crested newt.

There is a variety of surrounding vegetation, such as meadow cranesbill and knapweed, which attracts dragonflies and damselflies, and makes for a good feedingground for birds like swallows. recently planted trees and scrub provides nesting sites and protection from the prevailing winds.

There are remnants of heathland to the northeast, with heather, bilberry, tormentil and heath bedstraw amongst the flora that can be found.

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