← Back🌳 Broadleaved woodland

Friars Wood

✦ Ancient woodland25 ha

📷 Philip Jeffrey · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plan your visit

BirdsWildlifeSeasonal

Public accessFree entryDogs welcome25 ha

Getting here

51.97784, -0.07801

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🐦71+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Blackbird and Woodpigeon
🐕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

🐦71+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Blackbird and Woodpigeon
🐕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

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome
🌿Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat

Best for

8 activities

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin +68 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin +68 more · last seen 2025

Free

Wildlife

Very strong match

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

Free

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour; Plants — Early Marsh-orchid, Greater Stitchwort, Early-purple Orchid +15 more · last seen 2024

Free

Insect spotting

Strong match

Insects — Meadow Plant Bug, Blue Shieldbug, Roesel's Bush-cricket +68 more · last seen 2024; Insects — Meadow Plant Bug, Blue Shieldbug, Roesel's Bush-cricket +68 more · last seen 2024

Free

Dog walks

Strong match

Dogs allowed — public woodland

Free

Foraging

Good match

Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic

Varies

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

5 signed routes nearby · 36 public paths nearby

Signed route nearbyPublic paths

Greenwich Meridian TrailWalking route440 km

A long-distance walk that follows the line of the Prime Meridian. Inaugurated in 2009, to coincide with the 125th anniversary of the Greenwich Meridian.

Named routeRef GMTLength 440 kmRegional walking route

Hertfordshire WayWalking route267 km

Long distance path

Named routeLength 267 kmRegional walking route

Hertfordshire Chain WalkWalking route

Not waymarked

Named routeRegional walking route

Weston Golden Jubilee WalkWalking route

Named route

Icknield Way PathWalking route169 km

long distance footpath 169 km

Named routeLength 169 kmRegional walking route

🚴

Cycling

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

recreational cycle route 10Cycling route

Named routeLocal cycle route

🐴

Horse riding

4 public paths nearby

Public paths

Beckfield Lanebridleway · 102 m

Public pathbridlewayLength 102 mSurface gravelPath type: track

Beckfield Lanebridleway · 251 m

Public pathbridlewayLength 251 mSurface gravelPath type: track

Wildlife to spot

6,130 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

6,130 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds53 species

summer

2025

Blackbird · Woodpigeon · Blue Tit · Robin · Stock Dove +48

BlackbirdTurdus merula
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
RobinErithacus rubecula
Stock DoveColumba oenas
House SparrowPasser domesticus
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
SkylarkAlauda arvensis
DunnockPrunella modularis
JackdawColoeus monedula
MagpiePica pica
RookCorvus frugilegus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
LinnetLinaria cannabina
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
Common GullLarus canus
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
GreenfinchChloris chloris
House MartinDelichon urbicum
WhitethroatCurruca communis
SwallowHirundo rustica2024
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2024
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2024
RedwingTurdus iliacus
Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
SwiftApus apus
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2024
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2024
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2024
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2024
Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa2024
Great TitParus major2024
FieldfareTurdus pilaris
JayGarrulus glandarius
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
RavenCorvus corax
LapwingVanellus vanellus
Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
Rock DoveColumba livia2024
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava2024
Little OwlAthene noctua2024
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2024
Garden WarblerSylvia borin2024

🦌

Mammals4 species

summer

2025

Common Pipistrelle · Fallow Deer · Brown Hare · Muntjac

Common PipistrellePipistrellus pipistrellus2024
Fallow DeerDama dama
Brown HareLepus europaeus2024
MuntjacMuntiacus reevesi2024

🐝

Insects25 species

summer

2024

Blue Shieldbug · Meadow Plant Bug · Roesel's Bush-cricket · Four-spotted Chaser · Dark-winged Black +20

Blue ShieldbugZicrona caerulea
Meadow Plant BugLeptopterna dolabrata
Roesel's Bush-cricketRoeseliana roeselii
Four-spotted ChaserLibellula quadrimaculata
Dark-winged BlackPachygaster atra
MuellerianellaMuellerianella
Common Green Grasshopper

🌿

Plants2 species

springsummer

2024

Adder's-tongue · Early Marsh-orchid

Adder's-tongueOphioglossum vulgatum
Early Marsh-orchidDactylorhiza incarnata

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

6,130 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds53 species

summer

2025

Blackbird · Woodpigeon · Blue Tit · Robin · Stock Dove +48

BlackbirdTurdus merula
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
RobinErithacus rubecula
Stock DoveColumba oenas
House SparrowPasser domesticus
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
SkylarkAlauda arvensis
DunnockPrunella modularis
JackdawColoeus monedula
MagpiePica pica
RookCorvus frugilegus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
LinnetLinaria cannabina
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
Common GullLarus canus
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
GreenfinchChloris chloris
House MartinDelichon urbicum
WhitethroatCurruca communis
SwallowHirundo rustica2024
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2024
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2024
RedwingTurdus iliacus
Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
SwiftApus apus
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2024
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2024
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2024
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2024
Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa2024
Great TitParus major2024
FieldfareTurdus pilaris
JayGarrulus glandarius
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
RavenCorvus corax
LapwingVanellus vanellus
Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
Rock DoveColumba livia2024
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava2024
Little OwlAthene noctua2024
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2024
Garden WarblerSylvia borin2024

🦌

Mammals4 species

summer

2025

Common Pipistrelle · Fallow Deer · Brown Hare · Muntjac

Common PipistrellePipistrellus pipistrellus2024
Fallow DeerDama dama
Brown HareLepus europaeus2024
MuntjacMuntiacus reevesi2024

🐝

Insects25 species

summer

2024

Blue Shieldbug · Meadow Plant Bug · Roesel's Bush-cricket · Four-spotted Chaser · Dark-winged Black +20

Blue ShieldbugZicrona caerulea
Meadow Plant BugLeptopterna dolabrata
Roesel's Bush-cricketRoeseliana roeselii
Four-spotted ChaserLibellula quadrimaculata
Dark-winged BlackPachygaster atra
MuellerianellaMuellerianella
Common Green Grasshopper

🌿

Plants2 species

springsummer

2024

Adder's-tongue · Early Marsh-orchid

Adder's-tongueOphioglossum vulgatum
Early Marsh-orchidDactylorhiza incarnata

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Philip Jeffrey · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Friars Lane in Friars Wood

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

✦JULIANSHistoric site1.4 km→🌱Well GreenUrban park2.9 km→🌱Churchend GreenUrban park1.7 km→✦Kelshall crossHistoric site3.7 km→✦THE GARDEN HOUSE, COTTEREDHistoric site3.8 km→✦Enclosure and earthworks SE of Clothallbury HouseHistoric site4.2 km→

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