Berrygrove Woods

Route description

A working woodland trail, circular walk from the village of Aldenham - 2 miles (3.5km)

Berrygrove Woods are owned and managed by Hertfordshire County Council. They form part of the 1000 acre Wall Hall Estate that was bought in 1947 to preserve the green belt. Once managed for its sporting interest, Berrygrove is now a working woodland, showing how commercial timber harvesting can be successfully combined with both conservation and recreation.

1. Coppiced Hazel

This grove has been coppiced, an ancient craft where trees are cut down on a regular basis, to harvest the new stems that grow back from the stumps. Coppiced hazel is the typical home of the dormouse, now sadly becoming scarce due to the loss of such places.

2. The Young Woodland

Cleared in 1988 this spot provides a living example of how woodlands naturally recover.

3. A New Plantation

This area of beech and oak will provide a future supply of hardwood. The fast growing Larch trees act as a nurse crop encouraging the hardwoods to grow tall and straight. Once the larch trees’ work is done they will be felled for fencing stakes, leaving the hardwoods to grow on to maturity some one hundred years from now.

4. Cherry laurel and change

Cherry Laurel was first introduced to Britain in 1576 form southeast Europe. It was planted here to provide cover for game birds, a legacy of the woods past management. While it can benefit wildlife, if left unchecked it slowly spreads harming the natural balance of the woods. The area to the west was cleared following storm damage and a fire, and has been replanted with ash, beech and cherry, plus a nurse crop of Corsican pine. Due to this upheaval, up to 26 different species of butterflies have been found here taking advantage of the temporary open ground.

5. Pine plantation

This uniform planting of scots pine is an example of typical 1970s timber plantation. While intended to maximise production, allowing easy access for management and removal of felled timber, it forms a poor wildlife habitat. Today a more sympathetic approach is advocated, with the planting of mixed broadleaf woodlands.

6. The Main Ride

This permissive bridleway forms the main ride through the woods, allowing access for the public and forestry equipment. All the rides require attention to remain open and are mowed between October and March. This allows flowers to seed and invertebrates to complete their life cycle undisturbed.

7. The Beech Ride

Here winter sees a thick layer of leaf litter covering the ground. In spring a carpet of bluebells and wood anemones flourish while the sunlight reaches through the young leaves. By summer a dense canopy forms cutting out the light, falling in autumn to feed fungi on the woodland floor.

8. Anchor Road Spinney

A new plantation established in 1996 on an area previously covered by dense scrub. The nearby pond, now heavily overgrown, was a source of water for livestock before the grazing fields were converted to a golf course.

Rights of Way symbols you might see

	Yellow arrows indicate footpaths for pedestrian use only
	Blue arrows indicate bridleways for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrian use only
	Red arrows indicate Byways Open to All Traffic (BOAT) for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians and may be legally used by other wheeled vehicles
	Black arrows indicate Roads Used as Public Paths (RUPP) for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians and may be legally used by other wheeled vehicles

More about Rights of Way

Maps

This map is based on Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Hertfordshire County Council 100019606 2004.

The Ordnance Survey mapping included within this web-site is provided by Hertfordshire County Council under licence from the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfill its public function to provide information relating to its activities, services and plans. Persons viewing this mapping should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they wish to license Ordnance survey mapping for their own use.

See the Ordnance Survey site for more information.

This is is one of a series of walks through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) supported by the Chilterns Conference.

Please be considerate in the countryside - keep to footpaths, especially through crops, and leave farm gates as you find them.