West Wood nature reserve

Near Thaxted

Map Ref:  TL 624 332.
Public Transport - Nothing suitable.
Dogs allowed if under effective control.

Directions
Midway between Thaxted and Great Sampford, set back from the B1051.  A track leads to the reserve entrance from the left hand side of the road, one mile north east of Thaxted.  Or walk in along the bridleway from Tindon End.

This 58 acre reserve is of mixed deciduous wood is one of the finest in the area.  On chalky boulder clay, it has a history of coppicing dating back to the middle ages.  This ceased in the middle of the last century but was resumed by the Essex Wildlife Trust when it acquired the site in 1972.  
 
Designation:
Site of Special Scientific Interest

What to look for:

There are early Purple and Greater Butterfly Orchids as well as Oxlips and Wood Barley, which is rare in Essex.  Pendulous Sedge grows along the rides. 

The wood has a good selection of nesting birds including Goldcrest, several species of warbler, Stock Dove and Buzzard.  It also supports good numbers of butterflies including Speckled wood, Brimstone and Ringlet.

The wood also has four ponds which have been restored and support Great Crested Newts as well as many dragonflies and damselflies.  It has also been returned to a coppice cycle and areas of Norway spruce have been removed.  Large numbers of deer frequent the wood and precautions have been taken to prevent them from browsing the young coppice regrowth and thus stunting or killing the trees; chestnut paling or brushwood fencing is erected around newly coppiced areas to keep them out.  

Access
Accessible at all times. 

Did you know?
West Wood  is a wet woodland, so bring your wellington boots. This distinctive feature of the wood creates some interesting plants that you would not associate with a woodland, such as Ragged Robin which grows in the rides and glades.