Prior's Wood

What it’s like

Free woodland walking with bluebells in spring and buzzards overhead, though the paths get properly muddy.

This is a walk through proper woodland on public footpaths, no entry fee and no gate to queue at. Spring is when it earns its keep, with bluebells carpeting the ground and the chance of spotting a buzzard, garden warbler or chiffchaff if you keep quiet and look up occasionally.

The site itself says April to July and September to November are the best months, which tallies with what you'd want anyway: less mud, more birdsong. Some paths are steep-sided and slippery even outside the wet months, so this isn't one for a pushchair or anyone who minds getting boots dirty. It suits kids old enough to walk a fair distance and happy to scramble a bit rather than toddlers wanting flat, easy paths.

Parking is limited and the advice is to respect local residents, which is a polite way of saying don't block the lane. Weekends in spring get busy precisely because of the bluebells, so if you want the woods to yourselves an early start or a weekday is the better bet. Dogs are welcome on a lead, and there's no closing time listed, so you can turn up whenever suits.

Need to know

Best for

Kids old enough to walk and scramble, not buggy-age

Parking

Limited parking. Please respect local residents

Dogs

On a lead

• Spring weekends get busy with parking, so go early or midweek if you can
• Wear proper boots, some paths are steep and slippery
• No entry fee, just turn up
• Listen out for buzzards and chiffchaff as well as looking for bluebells

Plan your visit

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