High Wood and Meadow

About the reserve

High Wood is an enchanting ancient woodland full of wild cherry trees and a rich ground flora. It was coppiced in the traditional way through the centuries, meaning that shrubs and trees were regularly cut to ground level to give a reliable supply of wood for fuel and tools. Coppicing lets sunlight into the wood, encouraging bluebells and other woodland flowers to flourish. The rare opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage is found in damper areas. Much of the meadow is acidic grassland where herbs such as cat's-ear, tormentil, sheep's sorrel and heath bedstraw grow.