Pitchbury Wood ✦ Ancient woodland 34 ha
Plan your visit
🦉 Wildlife🦅 Birds🍂 Seasonal
Public access Free entry Dogs welcome 34 ha
Places › England › Eastern › Colchester Getting here
51.92509, 0.85652
Open directionsv Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
▾ ☀️ June — canopy now fully closed, creating cool dappled shade even on warm days 🌿 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
☀️ June — canopy now fully closed, creating cool dappled shade even on warm days 🌿 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 £ 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 — Blue Tit, Blackbird, Great Tit +61 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Blue Tit, Blackbird, Great Tit +61 more · last seen 2025
Free
🍂 Seasonal nature
Strong match
Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour; Plants — Japanese Knotweed, Bluebell, Bracken +134 more · last seen 2022
Free
Plants — Common Nettle, Pedunculate Oak, Bramble +18 more foraging species; Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic
Varies
Dogs allowed — public woodland
Free
🦋 Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Stag Beetle, Rosemary Beetle, Box Tree Moth +30 more · last seen 2026; Insects — Stag Beetle, Rosemary Beetle, Box Tree Moth +30 more · last seen 2026
Free
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 15 signed routes nearby · 7 public paths nearby
Signed route nearby Public paths
Colchester Orbital West B Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Colchester Orbital West A Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Spoke (North) Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Spoke (West) Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Spoke (South) Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Great Horks 36 public footpath · 466 m ▾
Public path public footpath Length 466 m Path type: footway
Show on map Great Horks 36 public footpath · 3 m ▾
Public path public footpath Length 3 m Path type: footway
Show on map Great Horks 36 public footpath · 4 m ▾
Public path public footpath Length 4 m Path type: footway
Show on map 142 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
NCN 51 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 51 National Cycle Network
Show on map Greenstead to North Station Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map EuroVelo 2 - Capitals Route - part United Kingdom 8 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref EV2 International cycle route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Cycle Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Cycle Spoke (South-East) Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Cycle Spoke (North East) Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map ✦ Ancient woodland — continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD. A rare and irreplaceable habitat, rich in biodiversity and historical character.
Photos Holmwood House Nursery on Coach Road, Horkesley Heath
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Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
All Historic
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id: 6b14b20a-0ba1-4ed4-aab0-c9c53ae33073
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
7,706 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 7,706 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 48 species
winter autumn
2025 ▾
Woodpigeon · Blue Tit · Blackbird · Robin · Magpie +43
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Blackbird Turdus merula Robin Erithacus rubecula Magpie Pica pica Linnet Linaria cannabina Stock Dove Columba oenas Great Tit Parus major Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Carrion Crow Corvus corone Little Owl Athene noctua2024 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Canada Goose Branta canadensis Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Martin Delichon urbicum Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Jackdaw Coloeus monedula Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2024 Jay Garrulus glandarius2024 Swift Apus apus2023 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Common Gull Larus canus Herring Gull Larus argentatus Raven Corvus corax Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba Dunnock Prunella modularis House Sparrow Passer domesticus Cuckoo Cuculus canorus2024 Barn Owl Tyto alba Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus Song Thrush Turdus philomelos Redpoll (cabaret/flammea) Acanthis flammea cabaret/flammea Greenfinch Chloris chloris Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Rock Dove Columba livia Coal Tit Periparus ater Nuthatch Sitta europaea2024 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2024 Siskin Spinus spinus2024 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2024 Tawny Owl Strix aluco2023 Rook Corvus frugilegus2022 Badger · Brown Long-eared Bat · Red Fox
Badger Meles meles2023 Brown Long-eared Bat Plecotus auritus Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2023 🦎 Reptiles 1 species
spring summer
2025 ▾
Grass Snake
Grass Snake Natrix helvetica 🐸 Amphibians 1 species
summer
2025 ▾
Smooth Newt
Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris Stag Beetle · Polydrusus formosus · Firebug · Jersey Tiger · Red-legged Shieldbug +2
Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus2025 Polydrusus formosus Polydrusus formosus Firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus2025 Jersey Tiger Euplagia quadripunctaria2025 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes2025 Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major Japanese Knotweed
Japanese Knotweed Reynoutria japonica Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 7,706 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 48 species
winter autumn
2025 ▾
Woodpigeon · Blue Tit · Blackbird · Robin · Magpie +43
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Blackbird Turdus merula Robin Erithacus rubecula Magpie Pica pica Linnet Linaria cannabina Stock Dove Columba oenas Great Tit Parus major Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Carrion Crow Corvus corone Little Owl Athene noctua2024 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Canada Goose Branta canadensis Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Martin Delichon urbicum Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Jackdaw Coloeus monedula Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2024 Jay Garrulus glandarius2024 Swift Apus apus2023 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Common Gull Larus canus Herring Gull Larus argentatus Raven Corvus corax Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba Dunnock Prunella modularis House Sparrow Passer domesticus Cuckoo Cuculus canorus2024 Barn Owl Tyto alba Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus Song Thrush Turdus philomelos Redpoll (cabaret/flammea) Acanthis flammea cabaret/flammea Greenfinch Chloris chloris Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Rock Dove Columba livia Coal Tit Periparus ater Nuthatch Sitta europaea2024 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2024 Siskin Spinus spinus2024 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2024 Tawny Owl Strix aluco2023 Rook Corvus frugilegus2022 Badger · Brown Long-eared Bat · Red Fox
Badger Meles meles2023 Brown Long-eared Bat Plecotus auritus Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2023 🦎 Reptiles 1 species
spring summer
2025 ▾
Grass Snake
Grass Snake Natrix helvetica 🐸 Amphibians 1 species
summer
2025 ▾
Smooth Newt
Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris Stag Beetle · Polydrusus formosus · Firebug · Jersey Tiger · Red-legged Shieldbug +2
Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus2025 Polydrusus formosus Polydrusus formosus Firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus2025 Jersey Tiger Euplagia quadripunctaria2025 Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes2025 Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major Japanese Knotweed
Japanese Knotweed Reynoutria japonica Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
2024
2024
Roesel's Bush-cricket Roeseliana roeselii2023
Roesel's Bush-cricket Roeseliana roeselii2023 Events & activities nearby Switch provider to compare local events, tours and bookable activities.
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