The Lancashire Plain, or ‘salad bowl’ as it is affectionately known, is significant for wintering wildfowl because it is close to several internationally important estuaries. Large flocks feed and roost on the farmland along the coastal plain each year.

The grazing marshes of this area also support nesting waders such as Lapwing and Redshank during the summer months, whilst the numerous field ponds provide habitats for the Great Crested Newt.

The plain’s lack of hills and quiet country roads also make it a great place for cycling. You can visit the wildfowl reserve at Martin Mere, Windmill Farm and Mere Sands Wood Nature Reserve by bicycle.

Cycling and walking routes the Lancashire Cycleway, the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, the Cheshire Lines Path and Trans-Pennine Trail also all pass through the Lancashire Plain.