| Thorswood | |
| Map: | Staffordshire |
| Map Width: | 200 |
| Location: | near Stanton, Staffordshire |
| Coordinates: | 53.02°N -1.832°W |
| Grid Ref Uk: | SK 113 470 |
| Operator: | Staffordshire Wildlife Trust |
| Website: | Thorswood |
Thorswood is a nature reserve of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, situated in the Weaver Hills near the village of Stanton, in Staffordshire, England. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Its area is ; the terrain is steep in places.[1]
There are hay meadows on low-lying ground, where ox-eye daisy, knapweed and betony may be found with the tall grasses. On the limestone grassland of the higher ground, there are low-growing flowering plants including salad burnet, cowslip and wild thyme.[1]
Instead of intensive farming practices, there is light grazing and traditional farming techniques, some fields being mown to make hay; the grazing and mowing prevents the grass becoming overgrown and smothering the rarer plants.[1]
There are three Bronze Age bowl barrows within the reserve; they are scheduled monuments.[2] Lead mining, dating back to the 17th century, took place at Thorswood; the remains of this activity survive in parts of the reserve as extensive hillocks, up to high, and a number of shafts have been identified. The remains are a scheduled monument. Visitors to the reserve are advised to keep to the marked trails where indicated, in order to avoid mineshafts.[1]