About

Sunday 26th July will be another Open Day of our 2026 season at Alvecote Wood ancient woodland, near Tamworth.

The recent weather has been a problem for the trees and for the wildlife at the Woods, sadly. It was good to have some respite from the heat a few weeks ago but everywhere has gone dry again and the ponds have mostly dried out already. We have actually started to take loads of water down to provide a bit of water for the general wildlife as well as pond life of various kinds. This year's water bowser total is around 3.5 tonnes so far, all into Pond 1. That pond and one or two other strategic ones for the wildlife will probably need quite a lot more as the summer continues. (Note that it is not recommended to use tap water for ponds so we treat each load with the 'Aquasure' dechlorination product to neutralise the chlorine etc before it goes into the pond.)

In advance of getting water to more ponds, we've been putting out some simple bowls of water elsewhere in the Woods and they've been used, it seems rather enthusiastically :-) As well as a variety of mammals including deer, fox, rabbits and squirrels, there are also birds and insects that need to drink so hopefully these small gestures are doing some good.

A priority for us at the Woods is to make our whole operation there more sustainable. Part of that will surely have to include work on the ponds such as by installing liners, or maybe digging some new ponds and lining them, as what we have done for many years is no longer working with the climate we have now.

Everyone is welcome to the Open Day (dogs on short leads, please). Come and enjoy a summer walk-around at the Woods!

The main arrangements apply for the Open Day: Open from 10am to *3:30pm* with *last entry at 2:30pm*.

Free entry but donations are always very welcome! Thank you!

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. https://Facebook.com/AlvecoteWood

There is also more information on our web site: http://www.alvecotewood.co.uk