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 - 13/07/2026

The paths within the woods, along with the rest of Cambridgeshire, are bone dry and cracked. I would still recommend sturdy footwear, due to some very uneven surfaces in places! As always in a natural environment, visitors should take care and be aware of their surroundings and keep to the paths at all times.

The complete length of the newly profiled main ride is now open for public access. Thankyou to all visitors who respected the Trust's wishes by not entering this ride when it was closed.

13/07/2026 - today I made my first visit to the woods since returning from a couple of weeks in sunny Spain. I found that the Trust have not been idle in my absence! The "picnic area" by the car park, the rides in Brownes' Pieces and Waresley Wood have all been mown in the summer grass cutting sessions. And the main ride is has now been fully re-opened to public access.

13/07/2026 - many of the earlier flowering wildflowers have faded by now, but there are still plenty of flora to see. Along the rides there is meadowsweet and purple loosestrife. I spotted these clusters of common century whilst walking along the brook path.

Click on this link to browse the latest updated Sightings of 2026. To date, 90 species out of 127, have been seen or heard.

13/07/2026 - each year the glade is partially mown, alternating between the left and right sides. This approach introduces a degree of diversity to the vegetation growth in one of the richest botanical areas of the woods.

13/07/2026 - a sight not seen for several years - an unhindered view down the main ride from the box junction. A pleasant walk for me today along the newly mown profiled ride.