The woods in Wendover (Wendover Woods (Buckinghamshire))

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Wendover Woods (Buckinghamshire)
Date:	13/06/08 (792 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good place to visit

Disadvantages: none

Wendover woods are a few miles from my home we visit several times in the year. These woods are near the villages of Wendover, Halton, and Aston Clinton not far from Tring, and Aylesbury, OS Grid Reference: SP890090. The woods are on the Chiltern escarpment which overlooks the vale of Aylesbury. See mulitimap http://www.multimap.com/maps/?#map= 51.78282,-0.73211|15|4&dp=841&loc=GB:51.78 1754331106036:-0.7257551766576576:16.

Wendover woods are owned b y the forestry commission and has become a really good outside leisure facility.

Wendover woods are open from Dawn till dusk. There are 325 hectares of mixed coniferous and broadleaved woodland. You can enter the woods by road track and there is a pay and display ticket machine on the right shortly after you enter it cost £2 per car for all day, if you are local you can buy a season ticket £30 for the year. If you enter on foot it's free.
There are a couple of car parking areas in the woods. There are many paths through the woods the woods are not all flat though there is quite a lot of hill walking. Although on a base of chalk there are a few muddy areas after the rains.



Wildlife in the woods

Wendover woods is a good place for wildlife As well as many other woodland species of birds the Firecrest, a bird that is quite rare can be seen here, sometimes the red kite can also be seen flying over.

There are Badgers and foxes but you may not see these. There are wood mice and I believe the Edible Dormouse too, you will see grey squirrels and probably muntjac deer.

Some butterfly species are seen in the flowery clearings on the south facing banks.
Although on chalky soil and with little water there is a pond and smooth and crested newts are here also frogs.
There are wild flowers and the display of bluebells in April and May. There are also a few orchid species here too.
Wendover woods are a good place to go for wildlife walks, surveys of wildlife and habitat are regularly done and various groups do environmental studies here. It is a good place for a school to visit to do environmental studies.


Fun in the woods Getting fit
If you go down to the woods today you and your family can really go wild.
Wendover woods is a fun place to be if you have children why not let them completely tire themselves out on the play area there's a swing or two a climbing frame and other equipment too. It's not just the children who can get fit in the woods there is a fitness trail for adults too. You could just take a stroll under the trees to the Chiltern's highest point wonderful views over the vale of Aylesbury especially when the trees are not in leaf there are maps available for a marked nature trail. Or you could go orienteering there are 20 orienteering posts, you should not get lost. Orienteering maps can be purchased from the office during the week, or from the tourist information centre in Wendover. Another way to keep fit is cycling there are cycle tracks marked through the woods my hubby and son in law often cycle from our home up to the woods through them then go on for many miles through the chilterns and do a circular route back home
Horse riding is very popular in the Chilterns and there are trails for riding through these woods.


Food in the woods
Many teddy bears have a picnic in the woods it's a great place for a children's party (weather permitting) go for a walk eat near the play area then play on the swings.
If we are going into the woods we often take a picnic, there are several areas it is good to rest in and eat a picnic.
Why not stop at the woodland cafe after all that getting fit or wildlife watching? I would certainly recommend it. The café is situated in the middle of the wood next to the children's play area. I have bought cups of tea there and slice of cake. Sandwiches and other snacks are also available. The café will cater for a birthday party too. There are also barbeque pits by the café

There are toilets available one a disables toilet . If you are disabled then althougha lot of these woods will not be suitable there are areas that are and I have pushed wheelchairs on some of the routes .
If you are in this area I certainly would recomend a visit for further information see http://www.aylesburyvale.net/visit/tourism/south/i nfo/country/ wendover/index.htm or http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/Recreation.nsf/ LUWebDocsByKey/ EnglandBuckinghamshireNoForestWendoverWoods

Summary: Woods with lots of facilities