Greyfield Wood

Greyfield Wood is situated at the west end of Beenham Village. The lease for the wood was purchased in 1995 by the Beenham Investment Group and now managed by Greyfield Wood Community Interest Company.

Greyfield Wood covers 38 acres and is a mix of ancient woodland and commercial trees. It offers a large and varied habitat for a wide range of animals, birds and butterflies. 37 species of birds and at least 14 species of butterflies have been seen in the wood. Our woodland is managed by volunteers and villagers are encouraged to use this lovely amenity at every opportunity.

There is a stream to “puddle” around in, well-trodden paths through the heart of the wood and every likelihood of seeing deer, grey squirrels and recent activity by badgers. The plants on display vary with the season – bluebells, wild orchids, ferns, brambles and holly in the winter.

Walkers, joggers and responsible dog walkers are very welcome. There is, however, no bridleway through Greyfield Wood.  Also, please note that there are no parking spaces near the wood.

Click here for a handy downloadable PDF guide and map to Greyfield Wood.

Key Dates for 2024
The Open Day in May was a great success again this year - thank you to volunteers and everyone who came out to enjoy the woods.  For dates of regular volunteering sessions in the wood please see the village Facebook pages or the Villages' News magazine via the Home Page of this website.

Previous Activities

Going on a Bear Hunt
In a dramatic dawn operation a bear that had been loose in Greyfield Wood was recaptured on a cold December morning.

The bear had escaped from captivity six months earlier and had been living in the wood. Recent sightings had confirmed where the bear was located and the recapture was planned.

The use of a tranquilising dart was not necessary, the bear came quietly. The woodland wardens confirm that the public can be confident of walking in the wood without any fear of attacks from bears.

Open Day 2023
The Open Day was again well attended this year. There was a demonstration of wood splitting and a guided walk, plus of course the lovely tea and cake tent. Here are some photos taken by Tina Alder.

Jubilee Bridge 2022
In 2022 the usual Open Day was replaced with a special event on Friday 3 June to coincide with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. A team of hard working volunteers built a bridge which will remain as a useful reminder of the special occasion. We are delighted that so may people from the community came and enjoyed the woods on that day. There are lots more pictures here

Volunteering to help
A local volunteer group meets most months during the year on a Saturday. The volunteers carry out light work, sometimes in the sunshine and sometimes in the rain! Much of this work is to plant and then look after new saplings, or to build up the ‘dead hedges’ which are so valuable in supporting the small mammal and insect life in the wood.
Other volunteer groups from outside the village also offer their help on a regular basis and are most welcome. If you would like to know more about volunteering, please contact John Hammond on 07818 400440

Woodland features
Trees
The wood contains a mix of two conifer plantations (Norway spruce and Corsican pine) and broadleaf trees. The conifer plantations are now mature and are gradually being harvested commercially to be replaced by broadleaf species. There are many examples of sweet chestnut, oak, robel beech, alder and many other species. A tree diversity program is encouraged as mitigation against disease which hits standing trees. The major concern at present is ash die-back which is damaging so many of our glorious ash trees.
Coppicing is now being reintroduced for both hazel and sweet chestnut. Sweet chestnut was traditionally used for fence posts and some of the fencing around St Mary’s church in the village comes from Greyfield Wood. Hazel is just great for supporting your climbing beans, peas or perennials in your garden. The planted mountain ash/rowan in the wide ride has masses of bright orange berries until later in the year when the local and migrating birds from further north feed on them.
Nearer the ground
There are numerous plants which indicate that Greyfield Wood is an ancient woodland. Brambles and ferns thrive in the wood and considerable effort is made to clear the paths and ‘rides’ (wide bendy paths, maybe three meters wide which run throughout the wood) so that walkers can enjoy the ambience of the environment. Some timber will be left rotting on the ground to encourage beetles and fungi; occasional piles of branches give small mammals cover from predators, as do the ‘dead hedges’. Brambles in flower attract many different butterflies and provide berries as food for wildlife in autumn.
The ground covering is being managed providing warm light sheltered glades so that flowering plants are encouraged. The area along the stream is rich in flowers while bluebells, primroses, violets, celandines, wood anemones and stitchwort, abound throughout the broadleaf parts of the wood in the Springtime. The foxgloves filling the glades later and then the fragrant honeysuckle climbs over any low bush or tree.
The more open areas of the wood promote flowers, butterflies and moths; the light can get through to the ground much better now that the conifers are being replaced allowing regeneration from the seed bank. White admiral and fritillary butterflies have been seen, now that the habitat has been improved, as have the eggs of the drab Luther moth. The eco system has been steadily improving as the woodland management plan is being carried out. There are wild raspberries and wild strawberry plants but can you find them?

Wildlife
Look for the roe deer, muntjacs and foxes in the wood although they can be hard to spot but you can follow the deer slot prints where they cross the stream. Badger sets are obvious from the quantities of earth spread around them. They emerge at sunset but you must wait down wind and be as quiet as mice not to frighten them. Nesting boxes for various birds have been introduced sometimes even used by bumble bees, and look out for the ‘bug hotels’ to encourage beetles. Grey squirrels are abundant and make good chasing for the more energetic dogs who enjoy regular exercise in the wood with their owners. In the autumn the squirrels hide sweet chestnuts which are abundant, for their winter larder. The hazel nuts are also eaten by squirrels and a number of other small animals such as wood mice.

For more information on how you can enjoy this rural woodland, or if you are interested helping us protect our woodlands for future generations, please email us at john@meadvale-bays.com

Greyfield Wood Community Interest Company - Who we are and what we do
Greyfield Wood CIC owns the lease on 38 Acres of local woodland. The freehold is owned by Douai Abbey and the lease currently runs to 2060. The CIC took over from Beenham Investment Group (BIG) in 2022.

The CIC is an entirely voluntary organisation, run by local people with no beneficial owners. It is an officially registered company with a board of directors and a constitution approved by the CIC Authority. The primary objective is to manage and develop the woodland in accordance with the provisions and regulatory authority of the Forestry Commission. The company is financially viable for the foreseeable future.

We form an active part of Beenham village in the management of a beautiful woodland environment. Regular communications come through this Beenham Online site, regular updates to the Beenham Village and Beenham Community Facebook sites, and a quarterly Newsletter. There is also an annual Open day, this year on Sunday 19th May 2024.

The wood is heavily dependent on volunteers to assist in various woodland tasks such as scything, clearing areas, planting saplings, etc. (no power tools). Volunteers are always overseen and managed by two directors. Health & Safety is a prime concern, so all Volunteers must attend a short “Woodland safety” session, which is run when required. If you would like to know more about volunteering, please contact John Hammond on 07818 400440.