About the reserve

In this peaceful, secluded pocket of woodland in the heart of what was once the Royal Forest of Braydon you can enjoy a gentle half hour stroll along the circular woodland path and wander down the coppiced central ride (path) to the glade.

Wood anemones, primroses and bluebells herald the coming of spring while summer brings the pungent aroma of wild garlic, also known as ramsons. The bright crimson heads of ragged robin are speckled among them.

The Firs is situated on Oxford Clay and the ground is wet for much of the year Mosses and ferns thrive in these damp conditions. Dead wood is an important habitat in the reserve and birch stumps are especially important for mosses and bracket fungi. In autumn look for small puffball fungi on the ground. Insects and other invertebrates live on this dead wood, providing food for green and great spotted woodpeckers. Other birds you may see include tits and nuthatches. In the summer spot ringlet and meadow brown butterflies along the central ride.

A rare tree, the small-leaved lime, can be found on the southern boundary bank near the entrance and 200-year old oak pollards stand on the western hedgebank. The uncommon Midland hawthorn also grows in the wood. To create open spaces favoured by certain birds and insects we coppice some of the trees along the central ride in rotation. In the rest of the wood we occasionally thin canopy trees to allow oak and ash to grow as large standards.