G G r r e o on these before winter arrives. winter before these on a u old boundary. old t H n a T d z woodland is their real home. real their is woodland i e t l B e prickly cases. Squirrels and mice feast mice and Squirrels cases. prickly earth bank showing an an showing bank earth e t actually just visiting, the visiting, just actually l e trees drop their seeds, protected by protected seeds, their drop trees run in a line on a raised raised a on line a in run birds in your garden are garden your in birds In autumn, beech and sweet chestnut sweet and beech autumn, In where coppiced trees coppiced where side. The robins and other and robins The side. woodland have been planted for timber. for planted been have woodland an old wood bank, wood old an evolved over time side by side time over evolved During the last century trees in this in trees century last the During woods is marked by marked is woods for wildlife, as they as wildlife, for southern edge of these of edge southern provides a perfect habitat perfect a provides up blocking out the light, and the whole cycle starts again. starts cycle whole the and light, the out blocking up making charcoal. The charcoal. making sunny gaps. Ancient woodland Ancient gaps. sunny butterflies and bees. Over many years, tree seedlings will grow will seedlings tree years, many Over bees. and butterflies building, fencing and fencing building, with glades of wildflowers in wildflowers of glades with bloom, providing nectar for insects like insects for nectar providing bloom, cut wood was used for used was wood cut oak are being encouraged to grow, to encouraged being are oak D reach the woodland floor. Wild flowers Wild floor. woodland the reach e a this is known as a “stool”. The “stool”. a as known is this d W Native tree species like hornbeam and hornbeam like species tree Native plants. and animals Spaces created mean sunlight can sunlight mean created Spaces o o many thin stems, thin many d for biodiversity, which means it is home to a huge range of range huge a to home is it means which biodiversity, for to stumps which re-grew producing re-grew which stumps to its nutrients for other trees to use. to trees other for nutrients its Now, people recognise how important ancient woodlands are woodlands ancient important how recognise people Now, once coppiced. They were cut down cut were They coppiced. once and rots back into the soil, releasing soil, the into back rots and E l m Hazel trees in these woods were woods these in trees Hazel that you see here today. here see you that wood is slowly eaten by minibeasts by eaten slowly is wood timber with fast growing trees like the conifers and sycamore and conifers the like trees growing fast with timber perfect place for fungi to grow. The grow. to fungi for place perfect these are far more rare. more far are these ancient woodlands have been cleared and replanted for replanted and cleared been have woodlands ancient When a tree dies, the dead wood is a is wood dead the dies, tree a When Hertfordshire, but bigger elms like elms bigger but Hertfordshire, developed over centuries. Since World War II, a lot of Britain’s of lot a II, War World Since centuries. over developed Small elm trees still grow across grow still trees elm Small might find woodlice, beetles, spiders and insect larvae. insect and spiders beetles, woodlice, find might you see now are not part of the natural woodland that woodland natural the of part not are now see you healthy trees as they grow larger. grow they as trees healthy lots of small creatures. Inside the logs and under the bark you bark the under and logs the Inside creatures. small of lots have changed what grows here. The trees The here. grows what changed have spread by elm bark beetles, whichattack beetles, bark elm by spread the floor. This might look untidy to humans, but it is home to home is it but humans, to untidy look might This floor. the at least 400 years. However, humans However, years. 400 least at and Turner. Dutch elm disease is disease elm Dutch Turner. and Constable Claypithills Spring has a lot of dead wood on wood dead of lot a has Spring Claypithills that there have been trees here for here trees been have there that R o in the British landscape and can be seen in paintings by paintings in seen be can and landscape British the in b ‘ of growing, dying, and decomposing. and dying, growing, of P Ancient Woodland, which means which Woodland, Ancient i i l n l ’ W o Large elms were once a prominent feature prominent a once were elms Large o with the seasons and also with life cycles life with also and seasons the with Brooches Wood is an area of area an is Wood Brooches d l o u Britain by Dutch elm disease. elm Dutch by Britain s Woodlands are constantly changing constantly are Woodlands e O a has been devastated in devastated been has rot away on the ground. the on away rot k Minibeast Feast Minibeast elm trees, a species that species a trees, elm gaps created by fallen trees, which trees, fallen by created gaps District Park are some are Park District These seedlings take advantage of advantage take seedlings These animals like deer. like animals hazel trees near the near trees hazel areas where younger trees are growing. are trees younger where areas were out of reach of reach of out were G r e a amongst the oak and oak the amongst planted at the same time, if you look closely you will see will you closely look you if time, same the at planted t S p o t t e where the growing shoots growing the where d hug! Tucked away Tucked hug! changes! Although many of the trees in this wood were wood this in trees the of many Although changes! W o taller and pollarded, cut higher up higher cut pollarded, and taller o d Wood that deserve a deserve that Wood If you visit the woods often you might not notice these notice not might you often woods the visit you If p e coppiced but later allowed to grow to allowed later but coppiced c k trees in Serpentine in trees e old. grown you’ve realising suddenly and day every mirror the r These would have originally been originally have would These There are some special some are There in yourself seeing like just time, the all changing are Woods along the boundary of Cleveland Way. Cleveland of boundary the along Special Trees Special Change Creeping Look out for the hornbeam “coppards” hornbeam the for out Look Great Ashby. Great further afield. further Woodland Walk afield. further Woodland Walk Way network and explore and network Way Way network and explore and network Way How to get there outside way of rights public other Join the Public Rights of Rights Public the Join Join the Public Rights of Rights Public the Join the map to see where you can join can you where see to map the To Biggleswade by: Supported B197 check countryside, Hertfordshire www.hertsdirect.org/CMS Tel: 01462 459395 01462 Tel: www.hertsdirect.org/CMS Woodland Walk Greatthe into walk your Ashbyextend not Why • Hitchin the environment. For more information contact us at: at: us contact information more For environment. the To Luton way. the along located are benches communities in Hertfordshire to help them care for and enjoy and for care them help to Hertfordshire in communities Great Ashby with points stopping Regular The Countryside Management Service (CMS) works with works A602 (CMS) Service Management Countryside The B656 GREAT ASHBY pushchairs. to accessible is route • • WAY weather conditions are very poor the poor Discoververy are conditions theweather woodlands 01462 474000 01462 A1072 Tel: Great Ashby is bordered by but there are no stiles. Unless stiles. no are there but several woods each with their own A1155 www.north-herts.gov.uk on your doorstep. B1037 unsurfaced, are paths the of Some character. Follow the Great Ashby N protection of the environment. Contact us at: A1(M) us Contact environment. the of protection Woodland Walk to discover more Accessibility: balance the need for sustainable development with the with development • Stevenage sustainable for need the balance about your woodland neighbours, 600 metres. 600 how the woods change with the to seeks Council The Council. District Hertfordshire North The short circuits within the woods are between 200 and and 200 between are woods the within circuits short The Follow the Great Ashby by managed and owned are Ashby Great at woodlands The passing of time, and some of the B651 Woodland Walk and discover A602 will take approximately an hour to complete. to hour an approximately take will special things which live there. nature on your doorstep. www.intalink.org.uk or 2233 200 0871 on Traveline To Hertford and circuit kilometres 2.8 a is Walk Woodland the total In B656 To Hatfield This Woodland Walk leads you around the Great Ashby Intalink contact details B197 travel For Way. Ashby Great Produced by Fitzpatrick Woolmer Design - 01634 711 771 Distances: By Public Transport: Public By Estate, taking in five woodlands managed by North on points several at stop Buses Hertfordshire District Council.