- Cop Mere
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Cop Mere is one of the largest natural bodies of water in Staffordshire, England. It has been designated a SSSI specifically for the type of moss that is found there – Sphagnum to be specific,[1] but other plant and animal life are present in sufficient numbers and rarities for it to have been designated as a protected area since 1968.
Cop Mere was created as a hollow in the Keuper marl of North Staffordshire/South Cheshire approx 200 million years ago,[2] roughly as a result of the retreat of the last ice age. It differs from other ponds and meres in the region because it sits on the route of the River Sow, the flow of which encourages the growth of algae necessary for the growth of freshwater mosses.
The River Sow has been dammed upstream at Jackson's coppice from approx 1250 AD[3], which altered the flow of water and created a unique albeit man-made environment that encourages birdlife and fishlife. There is evidence[4] that fishing in Cop Mere dates back at least to the reign of Henry VIII.
The SSSI also includes a number of plants currently rare in Staffordshire, specifically the herb Paris and a thin-spiked wood sedge Carex strigosa.[5]
Birds commonly found on the mere include the Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler, the Great Crested Grebe and the Little Grebe, the Sparrowhawk, and various woodpeckers.
CopMere also refers to the village located at the same location, which is notable for the Star Inn, the location of the only public telephone box in the area, and the village post box.
References
- ^ http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000057.pdf
- ^ http://jgslegacy.lyellcollection.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/1-4/183
- ^ http://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/page/jackson-s-coppice-marsh
- ^ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vf0RAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA386&lpg=PA386&dq=fish+in+cop+mere&source=bl&ots=yfArUjhd7h&sig=DoLnd-7fdn3PeZI6ZYyS7OPTmLA&hl=en&ei=RPdVTLOSK4ey0gTOzbW4Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CEgQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=fish%20in%20cop%20mere&f=false
- ^ http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000057.pdf p2
External links
Categories:- Geography of Staffordshire
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