← Back🌲 Conifer forest

Sowdley Wood

✦ Ancient woodland72 ha

📷 Philip Halling · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

WildlifeBirdsSeasonal

Public accessFree entryDogs welcome72 ha

Getting here

52.41260, -3.00115

Open directionsv

Google Maps↗Driving directions Apple Maps↗Driving directions Waze↗Live driving navigation Google Transit↗Bus, rail or tram Apple Transit↗Bus, rail or tram

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

Good to know

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

Best for

8 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

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

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Robin +69 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Robin +69 more · last seen 2025

Free

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour; Plants — Western Hemlock-spruce, Common Mouse-ear, Creeping Buttercup +38 more · last seen 2025

Free

Dog walks

Strong match

Dogs allowed — public woodland

Free

Insect spotting

Strong match

Insects — 22-spot Ladybird, 16-spot Ladybird, Rhyzobius litura +26 more · last seen 2025; Insects — 22-spot Ladybird, 16-spot Ladybird, Rhyzobius litura +26 more · last seen 2025

Free

Foraging

Strong match

Plants — Bilberry, Sessile Oak, Dandelion +6 more foraging species; Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic

Varies

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

4 signed routes nearby · 2 public paths nearby

Signed route nearbyPublic paths

Offa's Dyke PathWalking route285 km

Named routeRef ODPLength 285 kmNational walking route

Heart of Wales Line TrailWalking route

Named routeRegional walking route

Shropshire Way - stage 03Walking route18.1 km

Named routeRef ShW03Length 18.1 kmLocal walking route

Shropshire Way - stage 04Walking route18 km

Named routeRef ShW04Length 18 kmLocal walking route

🐴

Horse riding

6 public paths nearby

Public paths

No named routes yet. Public paths are shown on the map.

Wildlife to spot

10,159 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

10,159 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds49 species

winterspringsummer

2025

Blue Tit · Raven · Carrion Crow · Robin · Great Tit +44

Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
RavenCorvus corax
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
RobinErithacus rubecula
Great TitParus major
NuthatchSitta europaea
BlackbirdTurdus merula
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
Coal TitPeriparus ater
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
CrossbillLoxia curvirostra
DunnockPrunella modularis
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
JayGarrulus glandarius
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
SiskinSpinus spinus
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
WoodcockScolopax rusticola
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
FieldfareTurdus pilaris
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
JackdawColoeus monedula
Willow TitPoecile montanus
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Tree SparrowPasser montanus
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Garden WarblerSylvia borin
Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibilatrix
WhitethroatCurruca communis
MagpiePica pica
LinnetLinaria cannabina
Marsh TitPoecile palustris
RedwingTurdus iliacus
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
BramblingFringilla montifringilla
StarlingSturnus vulgaris

🦌

Mammals6 species

winterspringsummerautumn

2025

Otter · Roe Deer · Red Fox · Brown Hare · Badger +1

OtterLutra lutra
Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
Red FoxVulpes vulpes
Brown HareLepus europaeus
BadgerMeles meles
Muntjac

🐝

Insects7 species

spring

2025

22-spot Ladybird · 16-spot Ladybird · Rhyzobius litura · 2-spot Ladybird · Cheilosia illustrata +2

22-spot LadybirdPsyllobora vigintiduopunctata
16-spot LadybirdTytthaspis sedecimpunctata
Rhyzobius lituraRhyzobius litura
2-spot LadybirdAdalia bipunctata
Cheilosia illustrataCheilosia illustrata
Volucella bombylansVolucella bombylans
10-spot Ladybird

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

10,159 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds49 species

winterspringsummer

2025

Blue Tit · Raven · Carrion Crow · Robin · Great Tit +44

Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
RavenCorvus corax
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
RobinErithacus rubecula
Great TitParus major
NuthatchSitta europaea
BlackbirdTurdus merula
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
Coal TitPeriparus ater
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
CrossbillLoxia curvirostra
DunnockPrunella modularis
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
JayGarrulus glandarius
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
SiskinSpinus spinus
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
WoodcockScolopax rusticola
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
FieldfareTurdus pilaris
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
JackdawColoeus monedula
Willow TitPoecile montanus
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Tree SparrowPasser montanus
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Garden WarblerSylvia borin
Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibilatrix
WhitethroatCurruca communis
MagpiePica pica
LinnetLinaria cannabina
Marsh TitPoecile palustris
RedwingTurdus iliacus
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
BramblingFringilla montifringilla
StarlingSturnus vulgaris

🦌

Mammals6 species

winterspringsummerautumn

2025

Otter · Roe Deer · Red Fox · Brown Hare · Badger +1

OtterLutra lutra
Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
Red FoxVulpes vulpes
Brown HareLepus europaeus
BadgerMeles meles
Muntjac

🐝

Insects7 species

spring

2025

22-spot Ladybird · 16-spot Ladybird · Rhyzobius litura · 2-spot Ladybird · Cheilosia illustrata +2

22-spot LadybirdPsyllobora vigintiduopunctata
16-spot LadybirdTytthaspis sedecimpunctata
Rhyzobius lituraRhyzobius litura
2-spot LadybirdAdalia bipunctata
Cheilosia illustrataCheilosia illustrata
Volucella bombylansVolucella bombylans
10-spot Ladybird

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Philip Halling · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Track through Sowdley Wood

1 / 19

Events & activities nearby

Switch provider to compare local events, tours and bookable activities.

Bookable tours

Weather for this location

Next 14 days

Loading local forecast…

Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

✦Clun CastleHistoric site2.4 km→✦Clun Castle: a motte and bailey castle and formal garden earthworksHistoric site2.5 km→⛪St George's ChurchReligious grounds2.1 km→⛪St Mary's ChurchReligious grounds3.5 km→⛪St Mary's ChurchReligious grounds4.6 km→✦Recumbent standing stone on Pen-y-wern Hill, 150m south east of a ring cairnHistoric site1.3 km→

Own or manage this place?

Claim this listing to keep details accurate, add photos, and highlight what makes it special — free.

Claim this page

How was your visit?

How useful was the information on this page?

id: ba6e9afe-25f1-41dd-b24b-f45cd9fe2ede