About the reserve

A walk through this Site of Special Scientific Interest takes you from stream-soaked valley floor, up steep slopes to level land at the top. You will find mossy gnarled boles, splendid spreading trees and abandoned water cress beds.

Clouts Wood is situated between Markham Banks nature reserve and King’s Farm Wood and Diocese Meadows. Combine a walk through all four areas to enjoy contrasting landscapes.

It is traditionally managed as coppice with some standard trees left to grow on. Most trees are 50 to 100 years old, although a few oaks are about 200. Records of coppice rights stretch back to the 1600s. Because of the wood’s great age, 29 ancient woodland indicator species grow among its wildflowers.

From late June see if you can find the tall yellowish spikes of the nationally scarce Bath asparagus, also known as the spiked star of Bethlehem. Other plants of note are green hellebore and wood vetch, the uncommon herb-Paris and delicate mauve meadow saffron. We leave some areas with a dense canopy for large old trees and to provide dead wood for fungi, beetles and hole-nesting bats and birds. In autumn look for shaggy parasol mushrooms, stump puffballs and velvet shank toadstool.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the green and great spotted woodpecker, treecreeper and chiffchaff - this bird sounds as though it is repeating its name. Blackcap and goldfinch like the coppiced areas and you may spot a roe deer.