Route: North Cliffe Wood
Area: East Yorkshire
Date of walk: 23rd October 2023
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 2.5 miles
Ascent: nil
Weather: Mostly sunny
North Cliffe Wood Nature Reserve is managed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and is worth a visit at any time of year.
The wood is well known for its carpet of bluebells in late April and early May (click here for a visit during bluebell season). Grass snakes emerge from hibernation and may be spotted basking in sunny glades or the edges of paths. Last time I was here there was a hoar frost, making for magical conditions (follow the link to see why). This is a walk which is enjoyable in all seasons – today the autumn colours were the main attraction
This is a good place for bird watchers – from spring and into summer migrant warblers, chiffchaff and blackcap add their songs to the resident species, such as treecreepers, great spotted and green woodpeckers. In recent years, woodlark has colonised the woods
During autumn flocks of siskin feed on the birch and alder seeds. Fallow deer and red deer may also be seen here
The wildlife highlight today was the spiders’ webs – every leaf and twig was festooned with them
The reserve is open at all times. There is no fee but note that dogs are not permitted. There are a few roadside parking spaces along Sand Lane by the two entrances to the wood and we parked in one of these. A grassy path leads around the reserve, with options to take a short cut before arriving at the heathland area. The maps page shows the shorter route but if time permits it’s best to include the heathland area and additional woodland. Navigation isn’t an issue as the paths are obvious
A route description isn’t necessary, so I’ll let the photos speak for themselves…
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
An obstruction at the start of the walk - the recent Storm Babet had blown a birch tree over the path. We noticed one or two fallen trees later on but fortunately the wider woodland was not damaged
After skirting around the fallen tree we began the circuit of the wood - spiders' webs were everywhere...
Autumn colours highlighted by the low early morning sun...
The woodland is predominantly birch
One of the many splendid old oak trees to be found the the wood
There were mushrooms in abundance throughout the woods - this bracket fungus has the appearance of a birch, its host
The end of another visit to this special place, which has interest in all seasons...
