Benland Wood ✦ Ancient woodland 39 ha
🦉 Wildlife🦅 Birds🍂 Seasonal
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Public access Free entry Dogs welcome 39 ha
Places › England › South East › Horsham Getting here
51.09709, -0.36842
Open directionsv 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 📍 Open access throughout summer — no booking required 🌤️ 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 📍 Open access throughout summer — no booking required £ Free to visit — no entry charge🐕 Dogs welcome🌿 Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat🦉 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 — Peregrine, Robin, Blackbird +71 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Peregrine, Robin, Blackbird +71 more · last seen 2025
Free
🍂 Seasonal nature
Strong match
Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour; Plants — Giant Hogweed, Common Vetch, Bugle +42 more · last seen 2025
Free
🦋 Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood +66 more · last seen 2026; Insects — Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood +66 more · last seen 2026
Free
Dogs allowed — public woodland
Free
Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic; Plants — Crab Apple, Fennel, Blackthorn +3 more foraging species
Varies
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 5 signed routes nearby · 9 public paths nearby
Signed route nearby Public paths
Downs Link Walking route 59 km ▾
A 37 mile shared route for walkers, horse riders and cyclists linking the North Downs Way with the South Downs Way
Named route Length 59 km Regional walking route
Show on map West Sussex Literary Trail Walking route ▾
Named route Regional walking route
Show on map Riverside Walk Walking route 13 km ▾
A circular walk around Horsham following the Chennels Brook, Horn Brook, Arun, and Boldings Brook
Named route Length 13 km Round trip Local walking route
Show on map Sussex Border Path Walking route 220 km ▾
Named route Length 220 km Regional walking route
Show on map High Weald Landscape Trail Walking route ▾
Named route Ref HWLT Listed length 145km Regional walking route
Show on map 16 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Route 223 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 223 National Cycle Network
Show on map Worthing Road to Horsham Station Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Corridor 1a Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Pedlars Way Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Broadbridge Heath to Horsham Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Surrey Cycleway Cycling route ▾
Leigh Hill link
Named route Regional cycle route
Show on map 5 public paths nearby
Public paths
No named routes yet. Public paths are shown on the map.
✦ Ancient woodland — continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD. A rare and irreplaceable habitat, rich in biodiversity and historical character.
Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
All Historic
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id: 756ddf59-cd3f-4928-b51f-5e84331269ff
UK green spaces mapped from open public data — so anyone can find the woodland, trail, or nature reserve closest to them.
© 2026 Glade · Made with care for UK green spaces
Wildlife to spot
14,628 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 14,628 records · National Biodiversity Network Peregrine · Little Ringed Plover · Robin · Nightingale · Wren +45
Peregrine Falco peregrinus Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Robin Erithacus rubecula Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Hobby Falco subbuteo Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla Blackbird Turdus merula Jackdaw Coloeus monedula Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Marsh Tit Poecile palustris House Sparrow Passer domesticus Great Tit Parus major Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Raven Corvus corax Magpie Pica pica Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Carrion Crow Corvus corone Starling Sturnus vulgaris Woodlark Lullula arborea Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Green Woodpecker Picus viridis Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus Swallow Hirundo rustica Barn Owl Tyto alba Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Whitethroat Curruca communis Redwing Turdus iliacus Dunnock Prunella modularis Song Thrush Turdus philomelos Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Rock Dove Columba livia Rook Corvus frugilegus Linnet Linaria cannabina Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita Mute Swan Cygnus olor Little Egret Egretta garzetta Crossbill Loxia curvirostra Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Swift Apus apus Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Greenfinch Chloris chloris Garden Warbler Sylvia borin Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes 🦌 Mammals 1 species
autumn winter
2025 ▾
Grey Squirrel
Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Slow-worm · Grass Snake
Slow-worm Anguis fragilis Grass Snake Natrix helvetica 🐝 Insects 11 species
spring summer
2026 ▾
Carabus nemoralis · Red-eyed Damselfly · Blue-tailed Damselfly · Brown Hawker · Ectophasia crassipennis +6
Carabus nemoralis Carabus nemoralis Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas2025 Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans2025 Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis2025 Ectophasia crassipennis Ectophasia crassipennis2025 🌿 Plants 8 species
spring summer
2025 ▾
Fennel · Blackthorn · Giant Hogweed · Broad-leaved Helleborine · Common Vetch +3
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare Blackthorn Prunus spinosa Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum Broad-leaved Helleborine Epipactis helleborine Common Vetch Vicia sativa Bush Vetch Vicia sepium Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 14,628 records · National Biodiversity Network Peregrine · Little Ringed Plover · Robin · Nightingale · Wren +45
Peregrine Falco peregrinus Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Robin Erithacus rubecula Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Hobby Falco subbuteo Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla Blackbird Turdus merula Jackdaw Coloeus monedula Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Marsh Tit Poecile palustris House Sparrow Passer domesticus Great Tit Parus major Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Raven Corvus corax Magpie Pica pica Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Carrion Crow Corvus corone Starling Sturnus vulgaris Woodlark Lullula arborea Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Green Woodpecker Picus viridis Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus Swallow Hirundo rustica Barn Owl Tyto alba Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Whitethroat Curruca communis Redwing Turdus iliacus Dunnock Prunella modularis Song Thrush Turdus philomelos Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Rock Dove Columba livia Rook Corvus frugilegus Linnet Linaria cannabina Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita Mute Swan Cygnus olor Little Egret Egretta garzetta Crossbill Loxia curvirostra Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Swift Apus apus Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Greenfinch Chloris chloris Garden Warbler Sylvia borin Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes 🦌 Mammals 1 species
autumn winter
2025 ▾
Grey Squirrel
Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Slow-worm · Grass Snake
Slow-worm Anguis fragilis Grass Snake Natrix helvetica 🐝 Insects 11 species
spring summer
2026 ▾
Carabus nemoralis · Red-eyed Damselfly · Blue-tailed Damselfly · Brown Hawker · Ectophasia crassipennis +6
Carabus nemoralis Carabus nemoralis Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas2025 Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans2025 Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis2025 Ectophasia crassipennis Ectophasia crassipennis2025 🌿 Plants 8 species
spring summer
2025 ▾
Fennel · Blackthorn · Giant Hogweed · Broad-leaved Helleborine · Common Vetch +3
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare Blackthorn Prunus spinosa Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum Broad-leaved Helleborine Epipactis helleborine Common Vetch Vicia sativa Bush Vetch Vicia sepium Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
White-legged Damselfly
White-legged Damselfly
Platycnemis pennipes2025
Platycnemis pennipes2025
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella2025
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella2025
Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea2025
Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea2025
Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo2025
Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo2025
Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva2025
Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva2025
Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa2025
Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa2025 Bugle
Bugle
Ajuga reptans
Ajuga reptans
Common Bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus
Common Bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus Events & activities nearby Switch provider to compare local events, tours and bookable activities.
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