Parsonage Wood

This remote and tranquil reserve comprises woodland, nesting within an area of pasture and orchard.

Opening times: Open at all times
Best time to visit: March to June

  • Dog walking

  • No facilities

Size: 9 hectares.

Walking trails: There are paths with steps which are uneven and steep in places. Muddy at times.

Dogs: Dogs permitted.

Not Wheelchair accessible. There are paths with steps which are uneven and steep in places. Muddy at times.

About the reserve

This remote and tranquil reserve comprises woodland, nesting within an area of pasture and orchard. Designated as a SSSI for its ghyll habitat and associated species - a rare habitat in the south-east. The wood is mixed with a fairly sparse understorey due to its dense canopy. However, coppicing has recently taken place to open up the canopy and allow the understorey to develop and flourish. In the spring, the wood teems with bluebell, primrose and golden saxifrage.

Within the steep wooded valleys, humid conditions are ideal for mosses, liverworts and many species of fern, including the hay-scented buckler-fern. Most of the common woodland birds have been recorded here, including woodcock, green woodpecker, treecreeper, nuthatch and little owl.

Contact Us

If you need to get in touch regarding Parsonage Wood, for any reason, please contact:

Matt Hayes
Contact number: 01622 662012
Contact email: [email protected] 

Environmental designation

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)