Blean Woods

Blean Woods is a wonderful place for a woodland walk. Our patchwork of traditional coppice woodland, high forest, glades and heathland welcomes Woodpeckers, Nightingale, Hazel Dormice and butterflies – even the extremely rare Heath Fritillary. Wander through mature oaks and hear the trees come alive with birdsong, or spot butterflies basking in sunny clearings.

Our work at Blean Woods involves managing the mix of habitats to create the ideal conditions for wildlife to thrive. We undertake coppicing in some areas of the woods – a traditional cycle of cutting and regrowing of trees. This creates dense thickets for nesting birds like Nightingale, and the sun filtering through in the newly cut areas attracts a dazzling array of butterflies.

Some areas of the woodland are made up almost entirely of large oaks and beech trees. These are brilliant for both the Great Spotted Woodpecker and the much rarer Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. In these areas, you'll see standing and fallen trees left to rot and decay, creating shelter and feeding ground for birds, bats and insects.

Our areas of heathland and glades are kept open and predominantly free from trees to benefit Woodcock, who can be seen roding (the name for their territorial display flight) overhead as night falls on summer evenings.