Welcome to The Thicket Field Maple This narrow steep bank of Ash and Field Maple woodland is approximately 500 metres long and home to a variety of native woodland animals and plants. Old maps of St Ives show that Access is from two entrances : woodland has covered this area of We hope you enjoy your visit. at either end of the wood off the hillside for a long time. It is thought Thicket path, part of the Ouse that such a steep, wet slope on Valley Way. A public footpath heavy clay was not considered runs north from the suitable for cultivation and western access was left to grow trees. Ouse Valley Way before turning approx 750 metres to St Ives Old Ash ‘coppice TheThicket west across the Ouse Valley Way : stools’ on the approx 1km to Houghton : fields. A permissive northern boundary path traverses the site show that timber was and returns to the entrance at Private Property regularly harvested from the site. the eastern end of the wood. There are benches along the Spurge Laurel The presence of this evergreen shrub is a sign permissive path. It is not that the site has been wooded suitable for wheelchair access. for a long time as it is a species which is found in old woodland:‘an PLEASE REMEMBER ancient woodland indicator’. O Take your litter home. ver Great Ouse O Look for its lime green flowers Ri Broken plastic and glass can in late Winter, the nectar of which is injure or kill living creatures. welcome food for early insects. O Please do not let your dogs The Herald Lesser Stag Beetle These sites are managed by Countryside Services run freely through the A beautifully coloured Moth, for your enjoyment Lesser Stag Beetles lay their KEY woodland as this disturbs the Herald overwinters as eggs in rotting wood.The eggs River/Stream nesting birds. an adult and is one of the hatch into large white Meadow first and last species to be larvae which create Woodland seen in a year. Herald tunnels in the SAFETY O Wet Woodland caterpillars feed on the leaves of Willow trees, wood, the size of an Some parts of the path may

Public Right of Way which are plentiful in the wet woodland to the adult little finger, by eating be muddy and slippery when south of the Thicket and along the River Great Ouse. through it. Permissive Path wet.

: Site entrance The Thicket is run by Rangers from HDC Countryside Services with the help of volunteers. If you have any queries or comments please contact the Rangers on 01480 451568 or Design: Coral Design Management, Peterborough Countryside Services at Huntingdonshire District Council, Pathfinder House, St Marys Street, Huntingdon PE29 3TN. Tel: 01480 388666 Welcome to The Thicket Ash This narrow steep bank of Ash and Field Maple woodland is approximately 500 metres long and home to a variety of native woodland animals and plants. Old maps of St Ives show that Access is from two entrances : woodland has covered this area of We hope you enjoy your visit. at either end of the wood off the hillside for a long time. It is thought Thicket path, part of the Ouse that such a steep, wet slope on Valley Way. A public footpath heavy clay was not considered runs north from the suitable for cultivation and western access was left to grow trees. Ouse Valley Way before turning approx 750 metres to St Ives Old Ash ‘coppice TheThicket west across the Ouse Valley Way : stools’ on the approx 1km to Houghton : fields. A permissive northern boundary path traverses the site show that timber was and returns to the entrance at Private Property regularly harvested from the site. the eastern end of the wood.

Sweet Violet There are benches along the When these dainty plants are in flower, on a permissive path. It is not sunny day in Spring, you may smell a fleeting suitable for wheelchair access. sweet perfume.These flowers have been used to PLEASE REMEMBER make perfumes since O Take your litter home. ver Great Ouse O Classical Greece. Both Ri Broken plastic and glass can deep purple and white injure or kill living creatures. forms of this species Green Woodpecker O Please do not let your King Alfred’s Cakes grow here. These sites are managed by Countryside Services Old trees provide nesting dogs run freely through The black bun like shapes growing on for your enjoyment sites for birds such as Green the woodland as this dead Ash trees are a fungus called King Alfred’s Cakes. Woodpecker and Starlings. KEY disturbs nesting birds. The story goes…that whilst sheltering in a River/Stream The Green Woodpecker has countrywoman’s cottage, King Alfred was asked to very distinctive ‘yaffling’ call like Meadow SAFETY keep an eye on some cakes she was cooking whilst she did a shrill laugh. It feeds on ants found in Woodland O Some parts of the path may be some errands. But he fell asleep and the cakes burnt! Ever the meadows nearby. Unlike other Wet Woodland since then, these fungi, which look just like burnt buns, have Woodpeckers it rarely drums into trees muddy and slippery when wet. Public Right of Way been commonly known as King Alfred’s Cakes. to find its food. Permissive Path The Thicket is run by Rangers from HDC Countryside Services with the help of volunteers. If you have any queries or comments please contact the Rangers on 01480 451568 or Design: Coral Design Management, Peterborough : Site entrance Countryside Services at Huntingdonshire District Council, Pathfinder House, St Marys Street, Huntingdon PE29 3TN. Tel: 01480 388666