Rea Brook Valley is a country park, and Local Nature Reserve located in the town of Shrewsbury in

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

and is recognised nationwide as an important site for wildlife. This park is also known for its history in the

Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The heritage line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route, and c ...

line. The

Rea Brook The name Rea Brook can refer to either of two brooks in Shropshire, England. One of the brooks, which eventually becomes the River Rea, is in southern Shropshire. It is to the east of Brown Clee Hill. The other, described here, is a minor r ...

is the watercourse that flows through the park.

Location

This site can be found near the centre of Shrewsbury, at .

Ownership

This site is owned by

Shropshire Council Shropshire Council is the local authority of Shropshire, in England, comprising the ceremonial county of Shropshire except Telford and Wrekin. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combi ...

, the valley travels east to south from Shrewsbury centre, and is a local nature reserve for Shropshire.Natural England
"Local Nature Reserves"
Date retrieved: 1 August 2013 Footpaths and cycle tracks are present on site.

Wildlife

It is nationally recognised as an important site for wildlife,Shropshire Counci
"Reabrook Valley Country Park"
Date retrieved 1 August 2013 as this valley acts as a green corridor for wildlife in the middle of Shrewsbury town. Conservation management of this site is carried out by Shropshire council who maintain the ancient meadows by using traditional grassland management regimes, they also protect the wetland habitats and creating new meadow, wetland and woodland habitats in low wildlife interest sites. Species found at this site include

Kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

s, Otters,

Buzzard Buzzard is the common name of several species of birds of prey. ''Buteo'' species * Archer's buzzard (''Buteo archeri'') * Augur buzzard (''Buteo augur'') * Broad-winged hawk (''Buteo platypterus'') * Common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') * Eastern ...

s, and

Orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

.Shrewsbury Town Counci
"Shrewsbury Town Council Countryside Unit"
Date retrieved: 1 August 2013 In particular a Common Spotted Orchid was recently discovered in this site, and though this is not a rare species in the UK this was the first time it was found in the area for 25 years, and serves as a good indicator that the management of the site is working and improving the biodiversity of this site. Management includes grazing, and hay-making all part of the traditional grassland management.

History and Railway

In the past this site was once a

line, and the embankments and tunnels are still visible today. The Severn Valley Railway was once used for transport of business for 101 years, starting from 1862 to 1963. Presently the Railway company is used in education, tourist, and leisure, this began at

Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the 2011 Census was 12,079. Histor ...

in 1970, extending their service in 1974 to

Bewdley Bewdley ( pronunciation) is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District in Worcestershire, England on the banks of the River Severn. It is in the Severn Valley west of Kidderminster and southwest of Birmingham. It lies on the Riv ...

, and again in 1984 to

Kidderminster Kidderminster is a large market and historic minster town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, south-west of Birmingham and north of Worcester. Located north of the River Stour and east of the River Severn, in the 2011 census, it ha ...

.Severn Valley Railwa
"Origins of severn valley railway line"
Date retrieved: 1 August 2013

References

{{reflist

External links

Shrewsbury Town Council
Rea Brook Valley Local Nature Reserve Buildings and structures in Shrewsbury Parks and open spaces in Shropshire Nature reserves in Shropshire