About
Sunday 29th March will see the first Open Day of our 2026 season.
Regular visitors will see a lot of changes at the Woods. We've done some tree thinning, including felling some large oaks in an area that was overcrowded, and we've also done some 'ride widening'. The latter is widening some paths to enable us to enhance the way we manage them so they become grassland habitat in their own right.
We've also done some coppicing near the ponds at the top of the main Woods to reduce the water draw to help the ponds hold water later in the year. We will assess how that works as the weather warms up and we can make plans for further changes to the ponds later on.
Probably the most obvious change will be a massive reduction in the amount of bramble cover throughout the Ancient Woodland. Bramble is good habitat but we had too much of it, lots! We've knocked it back and can now watch the newly-exposed areas of ground to see what regeneration might start to happen. We may see bluebells come up that have been hidden below the bramble for years so it could be an exciting spring
The main arrangements apply for the Open Day: Open from 10am to *3:30pm* with *last entry at 2:30pm*.
Free entry.
Parking: Please note that there is limited car parking at Alvecote Wood, so if you are able to walk, cycle or share a car, we would be very grateful. There is parking for a few vehicles on hard-standing to the left of our main building, with overflow space for more cars on the grass nearby when required.
**Please minimise driving on the grass. The soil is vitally important in any Ancient Woodland and we should avoid compacting it unnecessarily.**
Dogs: We prefer to minimise presence of dogs on site because of their impact on wildlife. You MAY bring a very well-behaved dog provided it is kept on a short non-extending lead at all times, and that you remove any waste. We reserve the right to refuse admission to poorly-behaved dogs.
Children: We are really keen for children to experience the beauty of Alvecote Wood. However, we remind visitors that there are deep, un-fenced ponds on site, the location of which is not always obvious, as the banks are overgrown. Therefore we would ask that children are kept closely supervised at all times and not allowed to wander off on their own. Please do not allow children to climb on fences, log piles, trees or gates, as these may not be safe and may cause injury.
Walking: Most of the paths are rough grass and some can be muddy. They will certainly be uneven. We cannot control where rabbits make their holes, which may appear overnight. Please wear stout shoes that you don't mind getting muddy, and please always look where you are putting your feet!
Check our Facebook page for the latest updates.
There is also more information on our web site: http://www.alvecotewood.co.uk
