NATURE lovers are invited to see the beauty of the area's newest forest in full bloom after a winter sleep.

A former open-cast site on the outskirts of Hindley, Platt Bridge and Ince has been transformed with woodland, meadows, grasslands and wetlands as part of the Red Rose Forest.

This section of the Greater Manchester Community Forest venture is part of a £1 million project which has been heavily supported by Wigan Metro and Groundwork Wigan and Chorley.

Transformation work over the past three years has formed a network of paths and tracks lining the area's nature pockets and wildlife habitats.

The site covers 160 hectares (about 395 acres) of land between Warrington Road, Manchester Road and Liverpool Road and the most accessible points are by the Strangeways pub on Liverpool Road, Hindley, or off Moss Lane, Platt Bridge.