Brotheridge Green Nature Reserve

Brotheridge Green Nature Reserve is a nature reserve of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust at Brotheridge Green, about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of Upton-upon-Severn, in Worcestershire, England. It is on a section of a former railway line.

Brotheridge Green Nature Reserve
Looking west from the road bridge
Location in Worcestershire
Location	near Upton-upon-Severn
OS grid	SO 816 412
Coordinates	52.0690°N 2.2693°W / 52.0690; -2.2693
Area	2 hectares (4.9 acres)
Operated by	Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
Designation	Site of Special Scientific Interest
Website	www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/nature-reserves/brotheridge-green

Description

The reserve, which has an area of 2 hectares (4.9 acres),^[1] is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.^[2] It is about half a mile of a section of railway line between Malvern and Upton-upon-Severn, part of the Tewkesbury and Malvern Railway. The line closed in 1952.^[3][4]

The eastern part of the site, near the road bridge, is a cutting where soil can remain damp; further west is an embankment, providing a different habitat with well-drained soil. The line is colonised with grassland, scrub and young trees. The site is noted for butterflies: more than 30 species have been recorded, including white-letter hairstreak, small copper and holly blue.^[1]

Links and biodiversity

The Trust believes that links between areas of countryside are beneficial for biodiversity; it notes that this reserve is one of several grasslands and one orchard in the area.^[1]