The best woods to visit this autumn

If you’re interested in archaeology, look out for the wood banks, chalk and marl pits, and an ancient drove road — all a reminder that other people have enjoyed this area for centuries.
What to spot: skylark, song thrush; and Daubenton’s, Natterer’s, and brown long-eared bats.
Grid ref: TQ843575OS
Map: Explorer 148, OS Landranger 188

Brede High Woods
Cripps Corner, East Sussex
Thanks to its enormous variety of trees, the autumn colours at Brede are particularly magnificent — with a display of burning gold, crimson, brown and purple well into November.

At 648 acres Brede is one the biggest Woodland Trust sites in England, and it is made of up ten separate ancient woods. The past life of the woods can be seen in the form of banks, ditches, sunken tracks — and extensive earthworks left by the excavation of iron ore that the historic Wealden iron industry depended on.
What to spot: great crested newts and spotted flycatchers.
Grid ref: TQ793201OS
Map: Explorer 125, OS Landranger 199

Clanger & Picket Woods
Westbury, Wiltshire
Clanger Wood — and neighbouring Picket Wood — are the most extensive remnants of what, at one time, was the vast Forest of Welwood, referred to in the Domesday Book in 1086 and better-known a century later as Westbury Forest. Visitors may spot roe and muntjac deer and several bird species foraging for food, including long-tailed tits, great tits and robins, with an important breeding bird community in the woods.

These woods are a must for butterfly lovers and have been designated a Site of Specific Scientific Interest because of their often rare butterfly and moth population that can be seen here at other times of the year.
What to spot: roe and muntjac deer, robins, great tits and long-tailed tits.
Grid ref: ST876542OS
Map: Explorer 156, OS Landranger 183

Millook Valley
Bude, Cornwall
Like a secret garden, this large area of woodland sits in a deep coastal valley and is not immediately obvious unless you visit nearby headlands or high ground.

The sheltered valley and hidden location mean that a walk here feels like a real escape, as you explore the woodland, streams and meadowland. It is home to a host of wildlife, including otters and bats, and has some of the best concentrations of lichen in the country.
What to spot: buzzards, greater horseshoe bats, red deer.
Grid ref: SX182991
Map: Explorer 111, OS Landranger 190

Tring Park
Tring, Hertfordshire
Once belonging to Tring Park Mansion (built by Sir Christopher Wren), the site is made up of mixed woodland and chalk grassland.

As you watch the cattle grazing on the grassland, remember that rather more exotic creatures — wallabies, cassowaries, quaggas and rheas — used to roam there. Lionel de Rothschild bought the estate in 1872 and his son Nathaniel — the first Lord Rothschild — opened a zoological museum on the site.

At this time of year the autumn colour provided by the avenue of lime trees along the King Charles Ride carriage path is particularly lovely.
What to spot: red kites, buzzards, kestrels, barn owls.
Grid ref: SP929102
Map: Explorer 181, OS Landranger 165

Nidd Gorge
Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
Nestling between Harrogate and Knaresborough, Nidd Gorge is actually made up of five woods: Coalpits Wood, Bilton Banks, Spring Wood, Scotton Banks and Gates Wood.

If you’re at all interested in fungi, this is the place to come — 91 different species have been identified in the gorge, including puffballs, cup fungi, jelly and bracket fungi. The woods are also home to more than 80 species of bird and 30 different kinds of mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

There’s an adventure trail for children with various activities such as counting the number of animal carvings on the bridge over the river Nidd. Public footpaths run through the site, linking the gorge to Harrogate, Knaresborough and the surrounding area. You can also reach Bilton Beck and Rudding Bottoms woodland by following the riverside path to the west.
What to spot: roe deer, tawny owls, herons and woodpeckers.
Grid ref: SE328579OS
Map: Explorer 297, OS Landranger 104

Bunkers Hill
Stourbridge, Staffordshire
Bunkers Hill Wood lies just half a mile to the west of Stourbridge on the outskirts of Birmingham.

Originally planted around 1860, the wood has an impressive mix of broad-leaves and conifers, including sweet chestnut, oak, Scots pine and Corsican pine — plus areas of naturally regenerated birch. Crisscrossed with paths, making it easily accessible, the wood also has large open glades of bracken and grassland.
What to spot: treecreepers, cuckoos, green and great spotted woodpeckers.
Grid ref: SO875824
Map: Explorer 219, OS Landranger 139

Wentwood
Newport, Wales
Wentwood forms part of the largest block of ancient woodland within Wales, running between the rivers Usk and Wye. Its history dates back more than 1,000 years, and it was once used for hunting by the inhabitants of Chepstow Castle.

Today the site is a haven for wildlife and for lovers of history. The wood has a number of ancient monuments including a Bronze Age burial mound. The ancient trackways, charcoal hearths and remains of an old mill give a sense of the site’s varied past, while the more modern ways to get around include a good network of waymarked trails, paths, and the Wentwood Forest Downhill mountain bike trail.
What to spot: Dormice, adders, lizards, deer, and nightjars.
Grid ref: ST405937
Map: Explorer 152, OS Landranger 172

Prehen Wood
Derry, Northern Ireland
Originally stretching along the banks of the River Foyle, this wood withstood the Siege of Derry in 1689 and the presence of American troops during the Second World War. Today it offers great views of Derry city and the river. You can choose between a 40-minute or 20-minute circular walk, and enjoy the beech trees interspersed with hazel, holly and oak.
What to spot: red squirrels, sparrowhawks and long-eared owls.
Grid ref: C425148
Map: OS Discoverer 7

Blackbush & Twenty Acre Shaw
Cudham, Greater London
These two magnificent adjacent woods lie in the Downe Valley near the village of Cudham. The area is famous for being the home of the naturalist Charles Darwin, who lived near by at Downe House.

Blackbush Shaw has a mixture of ancient woodland, old coppiced trees, younger trees and grassland, while Twenty Acre Shaw is mainly ancient woodland with notable old pollarded trees on the boundary. Many of the plant species found in the woods were studied by Darwin.
What to spot: the rare autumn gentian.
Grid ref: TQ440593
Map: Explorer 147, OS Landranger 187

Beacon Hill Wood
Shepton Mallet, Somerset
Visitors to Beacon Hill can expect steep climbs and stunning autumn scenery. You’ll recognise it by the copse of large old beech trees, visible for miles, which form a distinctive crown on its ridge.

Among its springs, gullies, ridges and glades, the wood has features that date back to the Neolithic and Bronze ages and the Romans. You can see Bronze Age barrows, old quarry pits and various standing stones, while the great Roman road the Fosse Way crosses through the wood.

More recently, the Auxiliary Unit, one of the most secret services of the Second World War, had a base here, operating out of an underground bunker.
What to spot: Roe deer, great-spotted woodpeckers, numerous interesting species of fungi, including the beechwood sickener and the giant polypore.
Grid ref: ST639459OS
Map: Explorer 142, OS Landranger 183

Credenhill Park
Credenhill, Herefordshire
Walk along tranquil paths and see the wood’s broad-leaved trees coming into their own at this time of year, with rich reds, golds and yellows — as well as oak, ash and beech, field maple, small-leaved lime and wych elm.

The Iron Age hill fort that is an integral part of the site is one of the largest hill forts in England and it is thought to have been an Iron Age tribal capital. The walk to the top is well worth it — at 221m (725 ft ) above sea level you can see over the Wye Valley and beyond.
What to spot: buzzards, goshawks; roe, fallow and muntjac deer.
Grid ref: SO450446OS
Map: Explorer 202, OS Landranger 149

Tyrrels Wood
Pulham Market, Norfolk
At the centre of Tyrrels Wood is an ancient woodland named Boscus de Grischave, recorded as far back as 1251, which is believed to have been around since the Ice Age. It has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of the enormous variety of woodland in such a small area.

There’s a relatively easy-to-follow circular route that allows you to enjoy the diverse autumnal colours created by native trees such as oak, hazel, ash, field maple birch and rowan.
What to spot: roe and muntjac deer, buzzards, kestrels, sparrowhawks and eight species of bat.
Grid ref: TM206897
Map: Explorer 230, OS Landranger 156

Hackfall
Grewelthorpe, North Yorkshire
Set in a 350ft gorge on the edge of the village of Grewelthorpe, this ancient woodland is mainly oak with beech, sycamore, ash and lime. It’s also a must for lovers of follies. There are grottoes, glades, rustic temples and waterfalls created by its owner in the 18th century and now lovingly restored.
What to spot: nuthatches, great and lesser-spotted woodpeckers.
Grid ref: SE236771
Map: Explorer 298, OS Landranger 99

Drumnaph Wood
Maghera, Londonderry
Drumnaph Wood is one of the few remaining ancient woods in Northern Ireland and has been traced back as far as 1599.

The woodland is buffered by rush meadow and wetland, and is a haven for wildlife. In winter, the Irish hare can be seen on the wood edges as well as in the surrounding fields.
What to spot: sparrowhawks, buzzards, otters, Irish hares.
Grid ref: C841037
Map: OS Discoverer 8

Fingle Woods
Drewsteignton, Devon
Set on the northern fringes of Dartmoor, Fingle Woods is undergoing a transformation. The dense canopy of conifers planted in the last century has stopped the light getting to the forest floor and prevented anything else growing. Now in a joint venture by the Woodland Trust and the National Trust that damage is being repaired and there is new life here. You can now see plants starting to grow on the forest floor, and spot 36 different bird species. Access is being improved too, with 45km of new footpaths and a 6km cycle track.
What to spot: dormice, otters and kingfishers.
Grid ref: SX762895
Map: Explorer 114, OS Landranger 191

Heartwood Forest
St Albans, Hertfordshire
You can explore the site by bike, horse or foot, or even take part in a tree-planting day. Since 2009, more than 500,000 native trees have been planted here by volunteers.

As well as woodland, the site features scrub, grassland and wildflower meadows (during the summer), and is home to an increasing number of bird species.
What to spot: birds of prey, including red kites (a hen harrier has been spotted once), hares, and muntjac and fallow deer.
Grid ref: TL162114
Map: Explorer 182, OS Landranger 166

Tattershall Carrs
Tattershall, Lincolnshire
An ancient woodland with an unusual history, Tattershall Carrs forms the last remaining remnants of the wet, alder-dominated woodland that once ringed the margins of the Fens.

The woodland is scattered with the remains of a Second World War RAF camp that once housed the famous 617 “Dambusters” squadron (along with 1,000 other air personnel).
What to spot: colonies of barbastelle bats, which now live in the bomb shelters and other bits of ruined Second World War infrastructure.
Grid ref: TF216589
Map: Explorer 261, OS Landranger 122

Wormley and Nut Wood
Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
Only 20 miles from central London, these two neighbouring ancient woods are rich in native oak and hornbeam, and have been a working woodland coppiced and managed for timber since medieval times.

You might want to take along a pair of binoculars because there is plenty of opportunity for watching woodland birds.
What to spot: hawfinches, redstarts and woodcocks.
Grid ref: TL317057
Map: Explorer 174, OS Landranger 166

Huntly Wood
Longforgan, Perthshire
Visit this wood to enjoy a rich variety of trees, from beech and sycamore to rowan and Douglas fir.

Just inside the southern edge is a circular, stony mound, about 30m in diameter and 2m in height, surrounded by a broad ditch, which experts believe is a bell-cairn, known locally as “Roman Knowe”. The presence of the burial cairn on the site shows that humans have been living here for at least 3,500 years.
What to spot: red squirrels, roe deer, buzzards.
Grid ref: NO313306
Map: Explorer 380, OS Landranger 53

Bisham Woods
Maidenhead, Berkshire
Bisham Woods is said to be one of the UK’s most colourful ancient woodland sites, dominated by beech, and has spectacular views across the Chiltern Hills.

Look out for the now-abandoned Bisham Quarry, which was an important source of stone throughout medieval times and provided the stone used to build Windsor Castle. Several depressions where clay has been removed for the brick-making industry have now formed ponds that are full of wildlife.

A wide network of paths and bridleways runs through the wood, making it readily accessible to walkers, horse riders and cyclists.
What to spot: muntjac, roe and fallow deer; stag beetles
Grid ref: SU852844
Map: Explorer 172, OS Landranger 175

Coed Cefn
Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
Known locally as Bluebell Wood because of its impressive displays in the spring, there is still lots to see at Coed Cefn in the autumn. The woodland is mainly oak and beech with self-sown ash on the southern side, and there are good views all around of the local hills and sheep pastures. At the centre of the wood is an Iron Age hill fort.
What to spot: buzzards, red deer.
Grid ref: SO226186
Map: Explorer 13, OS Landranger 161

Bishops Knoll
Bristol
Bishops Knoll was first recorded as a medieval deer park, then much later became the grounds of a large late-19th-century estate house called The Knoll when it was developed into a series of terraced gardens, a sloping arboretum, orchards, lawns and paddocks with a network of “pleasure” paths — much of which still remains. Although overgrown with ivy, bamboo and laurel, the woodland is slowly being uncovered, along with lost ornamental terraced gardens and arboretum. There are also great views across the Avon Gorge to Leigh Woods.
What to spot: terraces and gazebos, which remain from its Victorian past.
Grid ref: ST553751
Map: Explorer 155, OS Landranger 172

Hedley Hall
Sunniside, Tyne and Wear
There’s a variety of landscapes and habitats to enjoy here, including ancient and new woodland, a peat bog and a sculpture trail with wooden sculptures designed by the environmental artist and sculptor, Keith Barrett.

Two public footpaths run through and alongside the wood, including the Tyne and Wear Trail.
What to spot: roe deer, great crested newts, snipe, willow warblers, reed bunting.
Grid ref: NZ218559
Map: Explorer 308, OS Landranger 88

Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood
Normanton-le-Heath, Leicestershire
This large, newly planted woodland is the flagship site of The Jubilee Woods project, which aimed to create 60 new woods of 60 acres or more to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Follow the trails through newly planted trees, explore ancient woodland, and brush up on your wildlife-spotting skills at the bird hide and pond-dipping platform.
What to spot: skylarks.
Grid ref: SK390132
Map: Explorer 245, OS Landranger 128

Hainault Forest
Chigwell, Essex
With its large oaks, hornbeam and ash pollards, Hainault forest — once part of the huge Forest of Essex — is one of the best surviving medieval forests of its kind. It was created to provide venison for the king’s table, and now has a huge array of wildlife — from owls, woodpeckers and bats to rare insects. There have been 158 bird species recorded here, and at least 940 species of invertebrate.
What to spot: bullfinches, hawfinch nightingales, firecrests, linnets and turtle doves.
Grid ref: TQ473936
Map: Explorer 174, OS Landranger 177

Scar and Castlebeck Woods
Harwood Dale, North Yorkshire
Scar and Castlebeck Woods are themselves ancient but erosion by the streams has exposed something even more ancient here. The fossilised footprints of dinosaurs can clearly be seen in certain parts of the woodland. They were first noticed by the Victorians and believed to be one of the finest inland examples of fossils in the UK.
What to spot: trout, kingfishers, herons.
Grid ref: SE950977
Map: Explorer 27, OS Landranger 94

Beckmickle Ing
Burneside, Cumbria
Running alongside the bank of the River Kent, near Kendal, Beckmickle Ing is a perfect spot for an autumn walk, with many walking routes in the area including the Dales Way long-distance route just south of the river. Admire the canopy dominated by oak, with sycamore, ash, alder, rare beech and elm, and see if you can spot white-clawed crayfish, freshwater pearl mussel and water-crowfoot in the river.
What to spot: roe deer, great spotted woodpeckers, otters, dippers, common sandpipers, red squirrels.
Grid ref: SD490979
Map: Explorer 7, OS Landranger 97

Dutton Park
Dutton, Cheshire
Dutton Park lies in the Weaver Valley close to the River Weaver and the imposing Dutton railway viaduct. The site is a rich mixture of habitats from open grassland to woodland and grazed riverside meadows. The many pools and ponds are reminders of the original course of the river.
What to spot: kestrels and peregrine falcons.
Grid ref: SJ577767
Map: Explorer 267, OS Landranger 117