Woodland habitats are some of the most iconic and well known in our landscape. Depending on where they are, what type of trees grow and how they’re managed, different woodlands can have a very different feel. 

Beech woodlands in autumn are a vision of colour. Oranges, browns and coppers will carpet the ground long after the leaves fall. Mixed species woodlands are best if you want to see some fungi because different tree species associate with individual fungi species. If you can’t get out to the woods through autumn, then don’t worry! Urban trees also put on a beautiful show, why not head out and look for conkers under horse chestnut trees? 

Our top three autumn woodland walks

Prior's Wood

A beautiful ancient woodland filled with small-leaved lime trees, oaks and hazel. Part of Priors Wood date back to the 1600’s and it’s similar to the kind of woodland that would have grown in England after the last ice age. It’s full of wildlife, in the autumn it’s a great place to spot mixed flocks of songbirds and look for acorns.

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Weston Big Wood

A Site of Special Scientific Interest, Weston Big Wood has an amazing array of fungi at this time of year as well as lots of bird species, including woodpeckers, buzzards and tawny owls. Look out for our specially sculpted wooden signs dotted around the woods covered in the different species you might see at Weston Big Wood. 

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Folly Farm

Folly farm is a mixture of woodland, grassland and meadow. It’s a great place to head on a sunny autumn evening to watch the sunset over Chew Valley Lake in the distance. The woodland is filled with fungi and you can even spot a badger set from the path.

How have woodlands coped in the heatwave

If you do head out walking in the woodland, you may notice that some trees have dropped branches. The prolonged drought over summer led to many trees going into survival mode due to lack of water and a tree will always prioritise sustaining their trunk, even if it means they need to drop branches.

The impact of repeated heatwaves on our trees is yet to be seen, but summer after summer of heat and water stress will undoubtedly lead to some trees dying and a visible effect on our woodlands.

Woodland walking

Woodlands are beautiful places for us to walk, but they are also a living, breathing ecosystem supporting an abundance of wildlife. Please help to protect our precious woodlands by;

• Sticking to marked pathways, walking off paths can disrupt wildlife and cause erosion.
• Keep dogs on leads, we know dogs love the woods (who doesn’t!), but off-the-lead dogs can irreparably disturb wildlife and livestock.
• Never pick fungi from our reserves, it is a vital part of the ecosystem.
• Check the reserve webpage on our website before you go, this will help you know where to park, what accessibility is like at the reserve and any other important information.

Find your next woodland walk