Westfield Wood presents a challenging yet rewarding walk through an internationally important yew woodland. Yews are one of the UK’s five native evergreen trees, and their large numbers at Westfield Wood create a still, quiet and cool woodland. Did you know that tree coverage can cool the air underneath by 2ºC - 8ºC? As you escape the summer sun, small mammals, insects, birds and reptiles will be taking advantage of the shade too!
The path that circumnavigates Westfield Wood takes visitors past several giant, ancient trees. Many of these mature oaks and beeches may appear gnarled and twisted, however, they provide an essential supply of standing deadwood to the surrounding habitat that supports fungi of all shapes, sizes and colours. While on your walk, look for fungi from the past autumn that may have been sampled by a hungry fox or badger.
The many holes and crevices found in the ancient trees of Westfield Wood provide shelter to nesting birds and roosting bats. Long-tailed tits, nuthatches, chaffinches, robins, great tits, blue tits, rooks, crows, and the UK’s smallest birds, the goldcrest, can be observed here. Visit Westfield Wood at dusk or dawn to enjoy a melodic performance from the woodland’s songbirds.
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