← Back🌲 Conifer forest

Aitken Wood

16 ha

📷 Steve Daniels · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plan your visit

WildlifeBirdsInsects

Public accessFree entryDogs welcome16 ha

Getting here

53.86405, -2.26115

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
🐕Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails
🅿️Parking 207m away — 2 car parks within reach

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
🐕Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails
🅿️Parking 207m away — 2 car parks within reach

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome

Parking

Best for

7 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Carrion Crow, Robin, Blackbird +78 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Carrion Crow, Robin, Blackbird +78 more · last seen 2025

Free

Insect spotting

Strong match

Insects — Sericostoma personatum, Hydropsyche siltalai, Small White +67 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Sericostoma personatum, Hydropsyche siltalai, Small White +67 more · last seen 2025

Free

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Plants — Common Spotted-orchid, Lesser Celandine, Devil's-bit Scabious +86 more · last seen 2025; Plants — Common Spotted-orchid, Lesser Celandine, Devil's-bit Scabious +86 more · last seen 2025

Free

Dog walks

Strong match

Dogs allowed — public woodland

Free

Foraging

Strong match

Plants — Common Nettle, Bilberry, Hogweed +12 more foraging species

Varies

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

2 signed routes nearby · 36 public paths nearby

Signed route nearbyPublic paths

Pendle WayWalking route

Named routeRegional walking route

The Ribble Valley Jubilee TrailWalking route105 km

A new 65-mile circular hiking route through the scenic rolling countryside and spectacular uplands of the Ribble Valley and Forest of Bowland.

Named routeLength 105 kmRound tripRegional walking route

Barley Lanepublic footpath · 278 m

Public pathpublic footpathLength 278 mSurface asphaltPath type: unclassified

Barley Lanepublic footpath · 624 m

Public pathpublic footpathLength 624 mSurface asphaltPath type: unclassified

🚴

Cycling

38 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Pennine CyclewayCycling route

Named routeRef 68National Cycle Network

Lancashire Cycleway (Southern Loop)Cycling route

Named routeRef 91Regional cycle route

Pendle Water BridlewayCycling route

Named routeLocal cycle route

Main RouteCycling route50 m

Named routeRef 68Length 50 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface unsealedfirm

N/ACycling route207 m

Named routeLength 207 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route734 m

Named routeRef 68Length 734 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt

🚵

Mountain biking

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

Great North Trail (Yorkshire Dales)Mountain bike route172.2 km

Named routeLength 172.2 km

🐴

Horse riding

9 public paths nearby

Public paths

Hays Lanebyway open to all traffic · 822 m

Public pathbyway open to all trafficLength 822 mSurface unpavedPath type: track

Wildlife to spot

3,720 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

3,720 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds55 species

spring

2025

Woodpigeon · Mallard · Kestrel · Blackbird · Carrion Crow +50

WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
RavenCorvus corax
JackdawColoeus monedula
MagpiePica pica
Great TitParus major
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
DipperCinclus cinclus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
CurlewNumenius arquata
DunnockPrunella modularis
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
RobinErithacus rubecula
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
SwallowHirundo rustica
House SparrowPasser domesticus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
SkylarkAlauda arvensis
Red Grouse (scotica)Lagopus scotica
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
RookCorvus frugilegus
WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
Rock DoveColumba livia2024
SiskinSpinus spinus2024
LapwingVanellus vanellus2024
House MartinDelichon urbicum
Garden WarblerSylvia borin
Sand MartinRiparia riparia
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
Coal TitPeriparus ater
GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
CuckooCuculus canorus2024
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2024
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2024
Herring GullLarus argentatus2024
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2024
Barn OwlTyto alba2023
Tawny OwlStrix aluco2023
Black SwanCygnus atratus2023
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2023
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula2023
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2023

🦌

Mammals3 species

winterspringsummer

2025

Roe Deer · Stoat · Rabbit

Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
StoatMustela erminea2024
RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus2023

🐸

Amphibians1 species

summer

2024

Common Toad

Common ToadBufo bufo

🐝

Insects12 species

summer

2025

Large Red Damselfly · Broad-bodied Chaser · Common Blue Damselfly · 7-spot Ladybird · Cercopis vulnerata +7

Large Red DamselflyPyrrhosoma nymphula
Broad-bodied ChaserLibellula depressa
Common Blue DamselflyEnallagma cyathigerum
7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
Cercopis vulnerataCercopis vulnerata2024
Four-spotted ChaserLibellula quadrimaculata

🌿

Plants27 species

spring

2025

Common Spotted-orchid · Lesser Celandine · Primrose · Marsh Thistle · Wood Anemone +22

Common Spotted-orchidDactylorhiza fuchsii
Lesser CelandineFicaria verna
PrimrosePrimula vulgaris
Marsh ThistleCirsium palustre
Wood AnemoneAnemone nemorosa
AlderAlnus glutinosa
Welsh PoppyPapaver cambricum

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

3,720 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds55 species

spring

2025

Woodpigeon · Mallard · Kestrel · Blackbird · Carrion Crow +50

WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
RavenCorvus corax
JackdawColoeus monedula
MagpiePica pica
Great TitParus major
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
DipperCinclus cinclus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
CurlewNumenius arquata
DunnockPrunella modularis
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
RobinErithacus rubecula
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
SwallowHirundo rustica
House SparrowPasser domesticus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
SkylarkAlauda arvensis
Red Grouse (scotica)Lagopus scotica
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
RookCorvus frugilegus
WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
Rock DoveColumba livia2024
SiskinSpinus spinus2024
LapwingVanellus vanellus2024
House MartinDelichon urbicum
Garden WarblerSylvia borin
Sand MartinRiparia riparia
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
Coal TitPeriparus ater
GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
CuckooCuculus canorus2024
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2024
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2024
Herring GullLarus argentatus2024
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2024
Barn OwlTyto alba2023
Tawny OwlStrix aluco2023
Black SwanCygnus atratus2023
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2023
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula2023
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2023

🦌

Mammals3 species

winterspringsummer

2025

Roe Deer · Stoat · Rabbit

Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
StoatMustela erminea2024
RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus2023

🐸

Amphibians1 species

summer

2024

Common Toad

Common ToadBufo bufo

🐝

Insects12 species

summer

2025

Large Red Damselfly · Broad-bodied Chaser · Common Blue Damselfly · 7-spot Ladybird · Cercopis vulnerata +7

Large Red DamselflyPyrrhosoma nymphula
Broad-bodied ChaserLibellula depressa
Common Blue DamselflyEnallagma cyathigerum
7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
Cercopis vulnerataCercopis vulnerata2024
Four-spotted ChaserLibellula quadrimaculata

🌿

Plants27 species

spring

2025

Common Spotted-orchid · Lesser Celandine · Primrose · Marsh Thistle · Wood Anemone +22

Common Spotted-orchidDactylorhiza fuchsii
Lesser CelandineFicaria verna
PrimrosePrimula vulgaris
Marsh ThistleCirsium palustre
Wood AnemoneAnemone nemorosa
AlderAlnus glutinosa
Welsh PoppyPapaver cambricum

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Steve Daniels · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Aitken Wood

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🌱Barley Picnic AreaUrban park900 m→🌱Barrowford ParkUrban park3.4 km→🌱Barrowford ParkUrban park3.4 km→🌱Victoria Park (south)Urban park3.7 km→🌱Hodge HouseUrban park4.1 km→🌱Brierfield Peace GardenUrban park4.8 km→

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