Aughton Woods Nature Reserve
Spring is a colourful time to visit the 30 hectare Aughton Woods when the Bluebells form a carpet across the woodland floor.
The wood is particularly noted for its Small-leaved Lime which has survived in the ravines and along the western and southern edges of the wood. Cole Wood and a small adjacent area of Shire Oaks Wood was felled in the mid '60s and contains a good deal of Birch, a primary coloniser of cleared woodland. Sessile Oak dominates the section between the ravines of Shire Oaks Wood where the soil is more acid, with Elm, Ash and Lime occurring in the ravines. From a distance the stand of Ash on the northern edge is distinctive especially as it is often the last to come into leaf and the first to shed. You will also be able to see the Douglas Firs poking through the canopy.
Wildlife Highlights: Woodpeckers, Treecreeper, Chiffchaff, Chaffinches, and five species of tit may be seen in the reserve. Pied Flycatchers breed regularly and Nuthatches and Wood Warblers have been recorded. You may hear the strange call of the Woodcock in the evening. Oystercatchers and Common Sandpipers are very obvious around the River Lune from late February to August.
Location: Aughton Woods is about 5 miles north east of Lancaster, between Aughton and Caton. The car park at Crook o' Lune can be used and there is a public footpath along the riverside which traverses the lower slopes of Lawson's Wood. There is an access path for members of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust along the bottom of Burton Wood.
Access: Although a permit is not required to visit Aughton Woods, our legal agreement with adjacent landowners means that only Trust members can use the access paths to Cole Wood and Shire Oaks Wood. Public access is through the entrance at the southern boundary of Lawson's Wood. The two additional entrances over stiles into Cole Wood and Shire Oaks Wood are by permit holders only. Please apply for a permit from the Trust office if you are not a member.
Aughton Woods is owned and managed by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
These maps are intended as a guideline only; you must check the exact location of the reserve yourself. Wildlife Extra assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or usefulness of the information on this website.