Home » UK & Ireland Wildlife » West Midlands » Worcestershire » Tiddesley Wood Nature Reserve

Tiddesley Wood Nature Reserve

Tiddesley Wood is an ancient woodland that covers some 200 acres, and was once an enclosed deer park, previously owned by Abbots and local nobility as well as the Forestry Commission.

There are coppice plots which in spring are carpeted with bluebells, wood anemones, violets and cowslips. These are also good places to look out for butterflies, insects and warblers. The uneven aged high forest areas provide habitats for insects, which need mature timber and dead wood. In the shady areas look out for the uncommon violet helleborine and where some light penetrates herb paris, greater butterfly orchid, twayblade and dog's mercury may be found.

There are still some conifer plantations which the Forestry Commission established in the1950s (which are gradually being converted back to broadleaved woodland) and areas of planted beech which provide a contrast to the broad leaved deciduous compartments. Oak, ash, aspen, hazel, wild service, hawthorn, blackthorn, willow, birch, small leaved lime, wayfaring trees, spindle and dogwood may all be found in the wood and in winter test the identification skills of the keen amateur! Wild plum, pear and crab apple trees are easier to spot.

Wildlife highlights: Important sight for breeding nightingales. Many woodland bird and warblers are to be found here. Club tailed dragonflies and white legged damselflies on the woodland rides. White admiral, peacocks, marbled whit and purple hairstreak and gatekeepers butterflies are reasonably common.

The nationally rare noble chafer beetle has been recorded here for many years. The larvae live in the rotting heartwood of the trees and it is their droppings (frass) which indicate their presence. The adults are on the wing in July and August and are a stunning metallic green. In 2007 over one hundred new fruit trees were planted amongst those in the old orchard to safeguard the future of the orchard and its wildlife.

Location: A mile south east of Pershore on the A4104. The north entrance to the wood is about a mile west of Pershore Abbey. Take the A4040 from Pershore towards Worcester and turn left near the town boundary just before the summit of the hill, into an unclassified road signposted for Besford and Croome. The entrance to the reserve car park is three quarters of a mile (1.3 km) along this road on the left.

The wood is open at all times but there is a military firing range in the south-west corner of the wood, and you must not enter the area marked by red flags when the range is in use or climb the fence into the danger area at any time.

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.