Woodland Policies

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The charity is pleased to welcome considerate walkers, cyclists and horse riders to the woodlands for normal recreational activities. We are carrying out forestry works aimed at improving access and the quality of woodland environment. For safety and environmental reasons, access has been restricted to the public rights of way and the permissive paths marked as open on our Visit us page.

Access will be restricted and or extended from time to time, according to the needs of of wildlife and safety. We have no staff so the car park and woodland are not patrolled. The terrain is wild and steep. There is a deep and dangerous reservoir adjoining the property.

1. Acceptance that your visit is at your own risk to yourself and your property, including your vehicle.
2. Young people being accompanied and supervised by responsible adults.
3. Dogs being kept on a short lead at all times.
4. All rubbish being taken home so that the environment for wildlife and other visitors is not damaged.
5. No fires or barbeques. A fire could cause untold damage to the ancient and irreplaceable areas of woodland.
6. Personal daytime visits only, keeping to the marked permitted or public routes. Visits by educational and environmental institutions are encouraged but can only take place with a pre-agreed written licence requested through Contact us.
7. Nothing being taken from the woodlands except happy memories and photos.

The charity’s aim is that for all users of the wood the experience should be safe and enjoyable. To achieve this we ask dog owners to be considerate of others and:-

Keep dogs on a short lead at all times.

Ground nesting birds are some of the most threatened species in the UK and out of control dogs can severely effect populations.

Our feedback from families, with young children in particular, tells us that any dog off lead can be a daunting unknown and, for some who have had bad experiences, terrifying.

Collect your dog poo and take it home for disposal. Just as your dog is your responsibility, so is its poo. Leaving bags behind is not an option and is both a safety hazard and eyesore. Even biodegradable poo bags can take 10 years to decompose.

If you have forgotten your poo bags, please use a stick to flick it into the side undergrowth, where it will degrade naturally in a few days.

Dog walkers with multiple dogs please allow a wide berth to others, especially family groups.

We hope for your co-operation in adhering to these requests and will keep our dog policy under review.