About the reserve

The soaring trees currently occupying Frith Wood are believed to result from seed from Belgium planted during the early 1800s, although this nature reserve has been recorded as being a beech woodland for over 1,000 years. GWT began leasing Frith Wood from 1966 and purchased it in 1987.

This woodland is home to rare plants, including wood barley, white helleborine and yellow bird’s nest. Spring sees the woodland floor carpeted in bluebells and wild garlic. Woodruff, an ancient woodland indicator plant, can also be found in the spring. Holly blue, silver-washed fritillary and comma butterflies visit the reserve, along with the scarlet tiger moth. The small and rarely seen bulin snail Ena montana, with its conical shell, has been recorded here. Birds commonly spotted include great spotted woodpecker and jackdaw. The wood is also rich in fungi, such as the common inkcap.

To continue to encourage a wide variety of wildlife, glades within the woodland will be enhanced and expanded. Traditional woodland management techniques like coppicing will be carried out by staff and volunteers to maintain a diverse age structure among the trees.