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 - 16/03/2023

Spring is officially here. Let me know if you spot any signs of spring while walking around the reserve and I'll add it to the "What have you seen?" list".

The paths in the wood remain wet and muddy, definitely too wet for white trainers. All visitors are asked to wear sturdy boots or wellies and not be afraid of getting them muddy!

The current phase of the tree felling has now been completed. Take care when walking near the felled areas as some of the path sections may be more uneven than usual. Please keep to the path in these areas to help in the recovery of the woodland floor.

16/03/2023 - today I spotted several clumps of flowering primroses, the first blooms to be seen in the wood this year. Doublely pleasing, as these plants were in the newly re-profiled section of the main ride.

16/03/2023 - the inner section of the wood's small meadow had its annual grass cut today. Not the best conditions for it, as the wind was blowing constantly across the fields. On the bright side though, there was no rain. As the photo shows, this year I used a scythe for the first time to clear the grass and brambles. The result was not too bad, but I'll need a bit more practice before tackling the lawn back home!

16/03/2023 - the bluebells are steadily growing in their favoured areas within the reserves. This shot from near the wood's main entrance, shows the increasingly green appearnance of the woodland floor. Peak bluebell flowering in the woods is usually from the last week in April and to the first week in May.

23/02/2023 - March already and the woods are gradually turning green. One sign of spring I always look forward to seeing (apart from bluebells of course!) is the appearance of the early purple orchid. Rosettes of their distinctive speckled leaves are beginning to show in the areas that they favour.