Location and Topography
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| Bridgewater Canal |
Trafford borough lies in the south of Greater Manchester and is one of the lowland areas of the county, with the altitude varying between 15 m above sea level (asl) at Davyhulme in the north west and 60 m asl at Hale, in the south east. It borders Cheshire to the south and west.
Habitats
Trafford has one of the most important ancient parklands in England at Dunham Massey.
The River Mersey flows through the heart of the borough before joining the Manchester Ship Canal to the west of Carrington. The Mersey Valley provides an important corridor of open land through the built up areas. The River Bollin forms the boundary with Cheshire in the south west and the Bridgewater canal runs from the north west to the south west.
The borough contains over 20% of Greater Manchester's arable habitat. In some areas the old field system survives, with ancient and/or species rich hedgerows marking the boundaries of the fields.
Small woodlands occur along the Sinderland Brook corridor, including Brookheys Covert SSSI, a lowland broad-leaved woodland which appears on the Ancient Woodland Inventory.
Wildlife
Trafford supports important populations of farmland birds. Carrington Moss is one of the last remaining strongholds in the county of the Corn Bunting and one of the few places where its jangling song can still be heard. The farmland is also an important habitat for Brown Hare and other mammals.
At least six species of bat feed along the River Mersey and over the canals.
The herd of Fallow Deer at Dunham Massey is an impressive sight, especially the bucks with their palmate antlers. The trees of the surrounding parkland look spectacular in autumn when the leaves turn red and gold. Many species of fungi grow on the dead wood of the ancient trees.