Waresley & Gransden Woods

Welcome to waresleywood.co.uk, a website dedicated to providing information on all topics relating to the Waresley and Gransden Woods reserves of The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

News - 07/06/2025

The woodland canopy is now in full leaf, giving the woods a completely different feel to the open vistas of early spring. No bluebells, but there is still plenty to see and enjoy in the woods. As always in a natural environment, visitors should take care, wear sturdy footwear and keep to the paths.

One of the paths in the wood still remains temporarily closed until the ground dries enough for the removal of ruts along it. This closure means that the first section of the re-profiled "main ride" has become a cul de sac, without exit. The second, newly profiled ride section will remain closed for two years to allow the ground to resettle and re-generate. Please respect the Trust's wishes by not entering this area.

06/06/2025 - it was a pleasure to see the return of one of the wood's rarest flowers today, the Butterfly orchid. Precariously two plants are growing right on the path edge, easy to view or damage. 55 different species of flora and fauna have been seen out of a potential 115 so far, check them out on my Sightings page

06/06/2025 - the trees are now in full leaf and the open woodland of spring is gone for another year. Time instead to enjoy the dappled sunshine filtering through the tree canopy.

28/05/2025 - the Common Spotted orchid, the second most often seen orchid in the woods, has started to flower along the damper patches of Mear's ride and the Glade. These orchids vary in colour and size of flowering spike, but I like the whiter ones most!

22/05/2025 - Ragged Robin, one of my favourite wildflowers, has started to bloom in the woods. It likes damp conditions so unsurprisingly good numbers of it can be found in the glade and the ditches of the newly profiled main ride.