Local Area

Warton Crag - If you look into the Old English language, it gives you a clue as to the look of Warton Crag. The name 'Warton' is derived from the Old English 'weard' meaning 'watch' or 'look-out' and 'tun' meaning 'farmstead'. The word 'crag' is from the Celtic 'crug' meaning 'hill' or 'mound'. Warton Crag is most definitely a mound that you could watch or look out from. It is a limestone hill, standing at 163 metres high, making it the highest point in the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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The limestone rock has been eroded to form natural cliffs, scars and outcrops. Part of it was once quarried leaving a dramatic cliff face that now provides a nest site for ravens, jackdaws and peregrines. Because of the unique limestone habitat and the species it supports, Warton Crag has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is owned and managed by four organisations RSPB, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Lancaster City Council and Lancashire County Council.

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The four organisations work together to make sure that the Crag is the best home for nature it can be. The RSPB primarily to manage if for some incredibly important butterflies. The limestone grassland supports a variety of plants such as rockrose, violets, and blue moor grass. These plants are particularly required by the rare butterflies on the Crag, as their caterpillars rely on them as a food source. There are several unusual butterflies on Warton Crag, such as the pearl-bordered fritillary, small pearl-bordered fritillary and the northern brown argus, with the rarest being the high brown fritillary.