LANCASHIRE is truly a wonderful county for those interested in wildlife. In the last few days I have visited Wycoller and Mere Sands Wood, both being easy to get to but a complete contrast.

Many will remember when Wycoller was accurately described as a deserted village but things have changed in the last 10 years or so. The area is still a naturalist's delight, set around an extensive and well managed county park.

Wycoller takes its name from, Wicair meaning a dairy farm set among the alder trees. The name dates back almost 2,000 years to when the Anglo-Saxons were in residence.

I parked above the village and strolled down to the pack horse bridge which dates from the days when local folk used the track to carry their woollen cloth to markets in Colne, Hebden Bridge and Halifax.

From this pretty bridge I watched a pair of dippers feeding in the stream, a grey wagtail balancing on the stones and then strolled along the path from the ruined Wycoller Hall towards Haworth.

Here I found the nest of a common sandpipers on a pebbled bankside, overlooked by marestail and wood avens.

If you want a day out in the countryside full to the brim with rich natural history but with lots of history you should choose Wycoller, reached via Colne on the M56 and turning off at Laneshawbridge or through Winewall.