Harold's Brake
✦ Ancient woodland2 ha
Plan your visit
🦅Birds🌳Ancient🦉Wildlife
Free entryDogs welcome2 ha
Getting here
51.65892, -2.41141
Open directionsv
Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
- 🐦57+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for House Sparrow and Moorhen
- 🌳Ancient woodland is at its best in summer here
- 🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days
🌤️ Visiting this summer
- 🐦57+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for House Sparrow and Moorhen
- 🌳Ancient woodland is at its best in summer here
- 🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days
Best for
9 activities🦅Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — House Sparrow, Moorhen, Mallard +54 more · last seen 2025; Deciduous woodland — woodpeckers, warblers and woodland birds
🌳Ancient woodland
Strong match
Ancient woodland — continuous woodland since before 1600
Birds — House Sparrow, Moorhen, Mallard +54 more · last seen 2025; Deciduous woodland priority habitat
🦋Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — 7-spot Ladybird, Speckled Bush-cricket, Dark-edged Bee-fly +35 more · last seen 2025
💜Bluebell walks
Strong match
Ancient woodland — native bluebell habitat
🍂Seasonal nature
Strong match
Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour
Trails nearby
Within roughly 5 km6 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Wotton-under-Edge Cotswold Gateway Route 2Walking route8 km▾
Named routeRef WGR2Length 8 kmRound tripLocal walking route
Cotswold WayWalking route164 km▾
Named routeRef CWLength 164 kmNational walking route
Cotswold Way (Stinchcombe Hill by pass)Walking route▾
a short cut across bottom section of Stinchcombe Hill Golf Course
Named routeRef CWNational walking route
Wotton-under-Edge Cotswold Gateway Route 1Walking route12.1 km▾
Named routeRef WGR1Length 12.1 kmRound tripLocal walking route
Wotton-under-Edge Cotswold Gateway Route 3Walking route10 km▾
Named routeRef WGR3Length 10 kmRound tripLocal walking route
8 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Route 41Cycling route▾
Named routeRef 41National Cycle Network
Avon CyclewayCycling route▾
Named routeRegional cycle route
Main RouteCycling route2.7 km▾
Named routeRef 41Length 2.7 kmNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt
Main RouteCycling route20 m▾
Named routeRef 41Length 20 mNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt
Main RouteCycling route5.2 km▾
Named routeRef 41Length 5.2 kmNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt
Main RouteCycling route679 m▾
Named routeRef 41Length 679 mNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt
1 public path nearby
Public paths
No named routes yet. Public paths are shown on the map.
Photos
15 photos from nearby open sources
The Bristol to Birmingham railway line
Photos
The Bristol to Birmingham railway line
✦ AncientFree entry🐶 Dogs
Good to know
- £Free to visit — no entry charge
- 🐕Dogs welcome
- 🌿Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat
Weather for this location
Next 14 daysNearby places
Useful places within 5 km
Wildlife to spot
6,122 records from NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot
6,122 records · NBN Atlas🐦Birds57 species
winterspringsummer
2025House Sparrow · Moorhen · Mallard · Blue Tit · Great Tit
+52 more speciesHide species list
All 57 birds recorded nearby (NBN Atlas)
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Great TitParus major
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- MagpiePica pica
- JackdawColoeus monedula
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- SwiftApus apus
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- GreenfinchChloris chloris
- NuthatchSitta europaea
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- SwallowHirundo rustica
- Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- JayGarrulus glandarius
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- SiskinSpinus spinus2024
- KingfisherAlcedo atthis2024
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- DipperCinclus cinclus
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Common GullLarus canus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- WhitethroatCurruca communis2024
- Lesser WhitethroatCurruca curruca2024
- RookCorvus frugilegus2024
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Herring GullLarus argentatus2024
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus2024
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco2024
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin2024
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea2024
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella2024
🦌Mammals2 species
springsummer
2025Roe Deer · Rabbit
🐸Amphibians1 species
springsummerautumn
2025Common Toad
🐝Insects38 species
springsummerautumn
20257-spot Ladybird · Speckled Bush-cricket · Dark-edged Bee-fly · Red-legged Shieldbug · Violet Ground Beetle
+33 more speciesHide species list
All 38 insects recorded nearby (NBN Atlas)
- 7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
- Speckled Bush-cricketLeptophyes punctatissima
- Dark-edged Bee-flyBombylius major
- Red-legged ShieldbugPentatoma rufipes2024
- Violet Ground BeetleCarabus violaceus
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot
6,122 records · NBN Atlas🐦Birds57 species
winterspringsummer
2025House Sparrow · Moorhen · Mallard · Blue Tit · Great Tit
+52 more speciesHide species list
All 57 birds recorded nearby (NBN Atlas)
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Great TitParus major
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- MagpiePica pica
- JackdawColoeus monedula
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- SwiftApus apus
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- GreenfinchChloris chloris
- NuthatchSitta europaea
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- SwallowHirundo rustica
- Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- JayGarrulus glandarius
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- SiskinSpinus spinus2024
- KingfisherAlcedo atthis2024
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- DipperCinclus cinclus
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Common GullLarus canus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- WhitethroatCurruca communis2024
- Lesser WhitethroatCurruca curruca2024
- RookCorvus frugilegus2024
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Herring GullLarus argentatus2024
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus2024
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco2024
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin2024
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea2024
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella2024
🦌Mammals2 species
springsummer
2025Roe Deer · Rabbit
🐸Amphibians1 species
springsummerautumn
2025Common Toad
🐝Insects38 species
springsummerautumn
20257-spot Ladybird · Speckled Bush-cricket · Dark-edged Bee-fly · Red-legged Shieldbug · Violet Ground Beetle
+33 more speciesHide species list
All 38 insects recorded nearby (NBN Atlas)
- 7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
- Speckled Bush-cricketLeptophyes punctatissima
- Dark-edged Bee-flyBombylius major
- Red-legged ShieldbugPentatoma rufipes2024
- Violet Ground BeetleCarabus violaceus
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
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