← Back🌳 Broadleaved woodland

Birchets Shaw

0 ha

WildlifeBirdsForaging

Free entryDogs welcome0 ha

Getting here

51.06063, 0.40377

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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
🌿Foraging 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

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
🌿Foraging is at its best in summer here
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome

Best for

6 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

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

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Blue Tit, Blackbird, Woodpigeon +69 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Blue Tit, Blackbird, Woodpigeon +69 more · last seen 2025

Free

Foraging

Strong match

Plants — Common Nettle, Bramble, Hawthorn +14 more foraging species; Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic

Varies

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Plants — Common Nettle, Creeping Buttercup, Cleavers +102 more · last seen 2026; Plants — Common Nettle, Creeping Buttercup, Cleavers +102 more · last seen 2026

Free

Insect spotting

Strong match

Insects — Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee, Red-tailed Bumblebee +18 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee, Red-tailed Bumblebee +18 more · last seen 2025

Free

Forest walks

Moderate match

Public woodland

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

3 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Play TrailWalking route2 km

Named routeLength 2 kmRound tripLocal walking route

Sussex Border PathWalking route220 km

Named routeLength 220 kmRegional walking route

High Weald Landscape TrailWalking route

Named routeRef HWLTListed length 145kmRegional walking route

🚴

Cycling

5 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

NCN National Route 18Cycling route

Named routeRef 18National Cycle Network

Main RouteCycling route4.9 km

Named routeRef 18Length 4.9 kmNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route969 m

Named routeRef 18Length 969 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route2.8 km

Named routeRef 18Length 2.8 kmNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route449 m

Named routeRef 18Length 449 mNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

🚵

Mountain biking

2 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Singletrack Mountain Bike TrailMountain bike route

Named route

Family Cycle RouteMountain bike route

Named route

Wildlife to spot

5,739 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

5,739 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds40 species

spring

2025

Wren · Great Crested Grebe · Coot · Magpie · Blue Tit +35

WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
CootFulica atra
MagpiePica pica
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Great TitParus major
RobinErithacus rubecula
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
GreenfinchChloris chloris
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Herring GullLarus argentatus
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
NuthatchSitta europaea
Canada GooseBranta canadensis
House SparrowPasser domesticus
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
JayGarrulus glandarius
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
GadwallMareca strepera
Coal TitPeriparus ater
JackdawColoeus monedula2024
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2024
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2024
LinnetLinaria cannabina2024
House MartinDelichon urbicum2024
DunnockPrunella modularis2024
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2024

🦌

Mammals7 species

summer

2025

Pipistrelle Bat species · Pipistrelle · Bat · Grey Squirrel · Hazel Dormouse +2

Pipistrelle Bat speciesPipistrellus
PipistrellePipistrellus pipistrellus
BatChiroptera
Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
Hazel DormouseMuscardinus avellanarius
Eurasian SerotineCnephaeus serotinus
Common ShrewSorex araneus

🐸

Amphibians1 species

spring

2024

Smooth Newt

Smooth NewtLissotriton vulgaris

🐝

Insects11 species

springsummer

2025

Buff-tailed Bumblebee · Red-tailed Bumblebee · Early Bumblebee · Western Honey Bee · Hairy-footed Flower Bee +6

Buff-tailed BumblebeeBombus terrestris2024
Red-tailed BumblebeeBombus lapidarius
Early BumblebeeBombus pratorum2024
Western Honey BeeApis mellifera2024
Hairy-footed Flower BeeAnthophora plumipes2024
Common Red Soldier BeetleRhagonycha fulva
7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
Common Carder BeeBombus pascuorum2024
BumblebeeBombus2024
Tree BumblebeeBombus hypnorum2024

🌿

Plants12 species

winterspring

2026

Thale Cress · Sheep's Sorrel · Wild Onion · Hart's-Tongue · Cockspur +7

Thale CressArabidopsis thaliana
Sheep's SorrelRumex acetosella
Wild OnionAllium vineale
Hart's-TongueAsplenium scolopendrium
CockspurEchinochloa crus-galli2025
BroomCytisus scoparius2025
Early CrocusCrocus tommasinianus2025
Meadow ButtercupRanunculus acris2024
Creeping ButtercupRanunculus repens2024
BluebellHyacinthoides non-scripta2024
Greater FeatherwortPlagiochila asplenioides2024
Swan's-neck Thyme-mossMnium hornum2024

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

5,739 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds40 species

spring

2025

Wren · Great Crested Grebe · Coot · Magpie · Blue Tit +35

WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
CootFulica atra
MagpiePica pica
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Great TitParus major
RobinErithacus rubecula
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
GreenfinchChloris chloris
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Herring GullLarus argentatus
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
NuthatchSitta europaea
Canada GooseBranta canadensis
House SparrowPasser domesticus
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
JayGarrulus glandarius
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
GadwallMareca strepera
Coal TitPeriparus ater
JackdawColoeus monedula2024
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2024
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2024
LinnetLinaria cannabina2024
House MartinDelichon urbicum2024
DunnockPrunella modularis2024
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2024

🦌

Mammals7 species

summer

2025

Pipistrelle Bat species · Pipistrelle · Bat · Grey Squirrel · Hazel Dormouse +2

Pipistrelle Bat speciesPipistrellus
PipistrellePipistrellus pipistrellus
BatChiroptera
Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
Hazel DormouseMuscardinus avellanarius
Eurasian SerotineCnephaeus serotinus
Common ShrewSorex araneus

🐸

Amphibians1 species

spring

2024

Smooth Newt

Smooth NewtLissotriton vulgaris

🐝

Insects11 species

springsummer

2025

Buff-tailed Bumblebee · Red-tailed Bumblebee · Early Bumblebee · Western Honey Bee · Hairy-footed Flower Bee +6

Buff-tailed BumblebeeBombus terrestris2024
Red-tailed BumblebeeBombus lapidarius
Early BumblebeeBombus pratorum2024
Western Honey BeeApis mellifera2024
Hairy-footed Flower BeeAnthophora plumipes2024
Common Red Soldier BeetleRhagonycha fulva
7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
Common Carder BeeBombus pascuorum2024
BumblebeeBombus2024
Tree BumblebeeBombus hypnorum2024

🌿

Plants12 species

winterspring

2026

Thale Cress · Sheep's Sorrel · Wild Onion · Hart's-Tongue · Cockspur +7

Thale CressArabidopsis thaliana
Sheep's SorrelRumex acetosella
Wild OnionAllium vineale
Hart's-TongueAsplenium scolopendrium
CockspurEchinochloa crus-galli2025
BroomCytisus scoparius2025
Early CrocusCrocus tommasinianus2025
Meadow ButtercupRanunculus acris2024
Creeping ButtercupRanunculus repens2024
BluebellHyacinthoides non-scripta2024
Greater FeatherwortPlagiochila asplenioides2024
Swan's-neck Thyme-mossMnium hornum2024

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 N Chadwick · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Footpath, Alder Shaw

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

✦SCOTNEY CASTLEHistoric site3.5 km→🌱Scotney CastleUrban park3.5 km→✦BEDGEBURY NATIONAL PINETUMHistoric site3.9 km→🌱Bedgebury National PinetumUrban park3.7 km→🌱Walled GardenUrban park3.6 km→🌱National Trust Scotney Castle EstateUrban park3.7 km→

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