Oxhey Woods

These peaceful woods near Watford have nice footpaths and a popular sculpture trail to follow. You can park at the Oxhey Woods car park off Oxhey Drive which runs through the centre of the woods.... There are lots of trails in the woods but the main attraction is the excellent sculpture trail. Along the 1km trail you will find numerous carved wooden sculptures of the wildlife you can see in the area. Watch the video below to see the pieces being carved.
The woods are also a local nature reserve so look out for a variety of interesting flora and fauna.  Plants includes bluebells, anemones and violets amongst the ancient woodland. There's also a rhododendron trail running through the southern section of the site near the sculpture trail. Wildlife includes the tiny pipistrelle bat and a variety of woodland birdlife.
The London Loop passes through the wood so there is scope for extending your walk in the area. If you head east the trail will take you to Harrow Weald Common, Bentley Priory Nature Reserve and Stanmore Common. The commons have nice woodland trails, heathland and wildlife including muntjac deer to look out for.
You can also pick up the Merry Hill Circular Bushey Walk in this area.
Postcode: HA6 3EY

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Nearby Routes

Stanmore Common London Loop Harrow Weald Common Merry Hill Circular Bushey Walk

Photos

Oxhey Woods Local Nature Reserve. One of six local nature reserves run by Three Rivers District Council, Oxhey Woods covers approximately 98 hectares (or, if it was square, an area of about one kilometre by one kilometre). Some of the woodland is quite ancient dating back to the last Ice Age some 10,000 years ago. The woods were designated as a nature reserve at the start of 1997.

Rhododendron Walk in Oxhey Woods

London Loop in the woods. This footpath through Oxhey Woods is in Section 14 between Moor Park and Hatch End. It is marked with solid red diamonds on the Ordnance Survey's 1:50,000 scale mapping and by solid green ones on the 1:25,000 scale.

Carpenders Park: Sherwoods Wood. A fine display of bluebells is on show in this woodland glade.

Hartsbourne Stream: Confluence with Oxhey Stream. The main watercourse here is Hartsbourne Stream, viewed looking upstream. Oxhey Stream joins it through the channel to the left. There is of course the mandatory rusting hulk of an old lawnmower engine in the bed.

Carpenders Park: Footpath to Watford Heath. The footpath runs along the fenceline of the West Coast Main Line railway on the left with Sherwoods Wood to the right.

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