← Back🌲 Conifer forest

Symond's Wood

✦ Ancient woodland6 ha

📷 Adrian Perkins · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

BirdsWildlifeSeasonal

Public accessFree entryDogs welcome6 ha

Getting here

51.83087, -0.14229

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🐦65+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Blue Tit and Jackdaw
🐕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

🐦65+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Blue Tit and Jackdaw
🐕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

Horse riding

Best for

10 activities

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Blue Tit, Jackdaw, Robin +62 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Blue Tit, Jackdaw, Robin +62 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 — Bank Haircap, Upright Hedge-parsley, Tormentil +11 more · last seen 2025

Free

Dog walks

Strong match

Dogs allowed — public woodland

Free

Insect spotting

Strong match

Insects — Dark-edged Bee-fly, Cream-spot Ladybird, Pea-leaf Weevil +44 more · last seen 2026; Insects — Dark-edged Bee-fly, Cream-spot Ladybird, Pea-leaf Weevil +44 more · last seen 2026

Free

Horse riding

Strong match

Horse riding listed as facility

Varies

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

9 signed routes nearby · 4 public paths nearby

Signed route nearbyPublic paths

Hertfordshire WayWalking route267 km

Long distance path

Named routeLength 267 kmRegional walking route

STOOP Link Path 4 - Stevenage Outer Orbital Path LinkWalking route

A link from Stevenage to the STOOP path (at approx 6 o'clock on clockface)

Named route

Hertfordshire Chain WalkWalking route

Not waymarked

Named routeRegional walking route

Circular WalkWalking route

Named route

STOOP - Stevenage Outer Orbital PathWalking route

A 27 mile circular walking route around Stevenage

Named routeLocal walking route

🚴

Cycling

70 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Route 12Cycling route

Named routeRef 12National Cycle Network

Route 61Cycling route34 km

Route 61 travels from Maidenhead to Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City and Hertford before arriving near Hoddesdon.

Named routeRef 61Length 34 kmNational Cycle Network

NCN National Route 57Cycling route

Named routeRef 57National Cycle Network

Ayot GreenwayCycling route

Named route

Main RouteCycling route52 m

Named routeRef 12Length 52 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route550 m

Named routeRef 61Length 550 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt

🐴

Horse riding

7 public paths nearby

Public paths

BRAMFIELD 001bridleway · 1.4 km

Public pathbridlewayLength 1.4 kmPath type: track

Back Lanebyway open to all traffic · 1.6 km

Public pathbyway open to all trafficLength 1.6 kmSurface unpavedPath type: track

BRAMFIELD 001bridleway · 465 m

Public pathbridlewayLength 465 mPath type: bridleway

Perrywood Lanebyway open to all traffic · 857 m

Public pathbyway open to all trafficLength 857 mSurface unpavedPath type: track

BRAMFIELD 001bridleway · 138 m

Public pathbridlewayLength 138 mPath type: track

Wildlife to spot

16,810 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

16,810 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds53 species

autumnwinter

2025

Jackdaw · Woodpigeon · Robin · Great Tit · Blue Tit +48

JackdawColoeus monedula
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
RobinErithacus rubecula
Great TitParus major
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
MagpiePica pica
BlackbirdTurdus merula
DunnockPrunella modularis
SkylarkAlauda arvensis
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
JayGarrulus glandarius
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
LinnetLinaria cannabina
Coal TitPeriparus ater
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
Stock DoveColumba oenas
NuthatchSitta europaea
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
RedwingTurdus iliacus
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
FieldfareTurdus pilaris
RookCorvus frugilegus
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
RavenCorvus corax
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
Mute SwanCygnus olor
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
Common GullLarus canus
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Herring GullLarus argentatus
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
SwallowHirundo rustica
Tawny OwlStrix aluco
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
WhitethroatCurruca communis
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava

🦌

Mammals4 species

autumn

2025

Muntjac · Roe Deer · Grey Squirrel · Fallow Deer

MuntjacMuntiacus reevesi
Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
Fallow DeerDama dama

🐝

Insects12 species

winter

2026

Pea-leaf Weevil · Lygus pratensis · Larch Ladybird · Birch Catkin Bug · Orange Ladybird +7

Pea-leaf WeevilSitona lineatus
Lygus pratensisLygus pratensis
Larch LadybirdAphidecta obliterata
Birch Catkin BugKleidocerys resedae
Orange LadybirdHalyzia sedecimguttata
Corizus hyoscyamiCorizus hyoscyami
Demetrias atricapillus

🌿

Plants4 species

summerautumnwinter

2025

Bank Haircap · Upright Hedge-parsley · Tormentil · Midland Hawthorn

Bank HaircapPolytrichum formosum
Upright Hedge-parsleyTorilis japonica
TormentilPotentilla erecta
Midland HawthornCrataegus laevigata

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

16,810 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds53 species

autumnwinter

2025

Jackdaw · Woodpigeon · Robin · Great Tit · Blue Tit +48

JackdawColoeus monedula
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
RobinErithacus rubecula
Great TitParus major
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
MagpiePica pica
BlackbirdTurdus merula
DunnockPrunella modularis
SkylarkAlauda arvensis
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
JayGarrulus glandarius
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
LinnetLinaria cannabina
Coal TitPeriparus ater
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
Stock DoveColumba oenas
NuthatchSitta europaea
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
RedwingTurdus iliacus
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
FieldfareTurdus pilaris
RookCorvus frugilegus
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
RavenCorvus corax
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
Mute SwanCygnus olor
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
Common GullLarus canus
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Herring GullLarus argentatus
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
SwallowHirundo rustica
Tawny OwlStrix aluco
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
WhitethroatCurruca communis
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava

🦌

Mammals4 species

autumn

2025

Muntjac · Roe Deer · Grey Squirrel · Fallow Deer

MuntjacMuntiacus reevesi
Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
Fallow DeerDama dama

🐝

Insects12 species

winter

2026

Pea-leaf Weevil · Lygus pratensis · Larch Ladybird · Birch Catkin Bug · Orange Ladybird +7

Pea-leaf WeevilSitona lineatus
Lygus pratensisLygus pratensis
Larch LadybirdAphidecta obliterata
Birch Catkin BugKleidocerys resedae
Orange LadybirdHalyzia sedecimguttata
Corizus hyoscyamiCorizus hyoscyami
Demetrias atricapillus

🌿

Plants4 species

summerautumnwinter

2025

Bank Haircap · Upright Hedge-parsley · Tormentil · Midland Hawthorn

Bank HaircapPolytrichum formosum
Upright Hedge-parsleyTorilis japonica
TormentilPotentilla erecta
Midland HawthornCrataegus laevigata

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Adrian Perkins · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Symond's Wood

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🌱Moneyhole Lane Playing FieldsUrban park3.9 km→🌱Datchworth GreenUrban park2.4 km→✦TEWIN WATERHistoric site3 km→🌱Haldens ParkUrban park3.6 km→🌱Black Fan ValleyUrban park3.6 km→✦PANSHANGERHistoric site3.8 km→

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