Shirf Down
✦ Ancient woodland94 ha
Plan your visit
🦉Wildlife🦅Birds🍂Seasonal
Public accessFree entryDogs welcome94 ha
Getting here
51.31615, -1.36160
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
- 🐕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
- ☀️June — canopy now fully closed, creating cool dappled shade even on warm days
- 🐕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; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals
Free
🦅Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Woodpigeon, Pheasant, Robin +60 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Woodpigeon, Pheasant, Robin +60 more · last seen 2025
Free
🍂Seasonal nature
Strong match
Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour
Free
🦋Insect spotting
Strong match
Chalk and limestone grassland — chalkhill blue, adonis blue and rare moths; Insects — Small White, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral +33 more · last seen 2025
Free
Dogs allowed — public woodland
Free
Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic
Varies
Trails nearby
Within roughly 5 km7 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Wayfarers WalkWalking route▾
Walbury Hill, Berkshire to Emsworth, Hampshire
Named routeRegional walking route
The Brenda Parker WayWalking route▾
Named routeRegional walking route
Watership Down TrailWalking route▾
Named routeRound tripRegional walking route
Family Amble, NW HantsWalking route3.1 km▾
Named routeLength 3.1 kmDuration 01:00Round tripLocal walking route
Outward Hound, NW HantsWalking route2 km▾
Named routeLength 2 kmDuration 01:00Round tripLocal walking route
4 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Watership Down Off-Road Cycle TrailMountain bike route▾
Named routeHampshire off Road cycle trails
Watership Down (Cycling Discoveries for Mountain Bikes in and Around North Hampshire)Mountain bike route▾
Named routeRef 1: Watership Down
Whitchurch Off-Road Cycle TrailMountain bike route▾
Named routeHampshire off Road cycle trails
Cycling Discoveries in North HampshireMountain bike route▾
5 public paths nearby
Public paths
No named routes yet. Public paths are shown on the map.
Photos
Basingstoke and Deane : Sidown Hill
Weather for this location
Next 14 daysNearby places
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Events & activities nearby
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Wildlife to spot
2,288 records · National Biodiversity Network
Wildlife to spot
2,288 records · National Biodiversity NetworkRobin · Woodpigeon · Blackbird · Wren · Pheasant +44
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- NuthatchSitta europaea
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Great TitParus major
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- LinnetLinaria cannabina
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- RavenCorvus corax2024
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- SwallowHirundo rustica2024
- KestrelFalco tinnunculus2024
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2024
- Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2024
- House MartinDelichon urbicum2024
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- JackdawColoeus monedula2024
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris2024
- GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2024
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2024
- JayGarrulus glandarius
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Barn OwlTyto alba2024
- Rock DoveColumba livia2024
- Stock DoveColumba oenas2024
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix2024
- StonechatSaxicola rubicola2024
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis2024
- Lesser WhitethroatCurruca curruca2023
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata2023
Grey Squirrel · Rabbit · Brown Hare · Badger
- Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
- RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
- Brown HareLepus europaeus
- BadgerMeles meles
🐝Insects9 species
springsummer
2025▾
Meadow Grasshopper · Long-winged Cone-head · Roesel's Bush-cricket · Glow-worm · Melanostoma scalare +4
- Meadow GrasshopperPseudochorthippus parallelus
- Long-winged Cone-headConocephalus fuscus
- Roesel's Bush-cricketRoeseliana roeselii
- Glow-wormLampyris noctiluca
- Melanostoma scalareMelanostoma scalare
- Swollen-thighed BeetleOedemera nobilis
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot
2,288 records · National Biodiversity NetworkRobin · Woodpigeon · Blackbird · Wren · Pheasant +44
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- NuthatchSitta europaea
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Great TitParus major
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- LinnetLinaria cannabina
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- RavenCorvus corax2024
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- SwallowHirundo rustica2024
- KestrelFalco tinnunculus2024
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2024
- Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2024
- House MartinDelichon urbicum2024
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- JackdawColoeus monedula2024
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris2024
- GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2024
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2024
- JayGarrulus glandarius
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Barn OwlTyto alba2024
- Rock DoveColumba livia2024
- Stock DoveColumba oenas2024
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix2024
- StonechatSaxicola rubicola2024
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis2024
- Lesser WhitethroatCurruca curruca2023
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata2023
Grey Squirrel · Rabbit · Brown Hare · Badger
- Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
- RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
- Brown HareLepus europaeus
- BadgerMeles meles
🐝Insects9 species
springsummer
2025▾
Meadow Grasshopper · Long-winged Cone-head · Roesel's Bush-cricket · Glow-worm · Melanostoma scalare +4
- Meadow GrasshopperPseudochorthippus parallelus
- Long-winged Cone-headConocephalus fuscus
- Roesel's Bush-cricketRoeseliana roeselii
- Glow-wormLampyris noctiluca
- Melanostoma scalareMelanostoma scalare
- Swollen-thighed BeetleOedemera nobilis
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
2024
2024
16-spot LadybirdTytthaspis sedecimpunctata202416-spot LadybirdTytthaspis sedecimpunctata2024Hornet HoverflyVolucella zonaria2023Hornet HoverflyVolucella zonaria2023Xanthogramma citrofasciatumXanthogramma citrofasciatum2023Xanthogramma citrofasciatumXanthogramma citrofasciatum2023