Wood Farm Health Routes
The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare has created a health routes map for Wood Farm in southeast Oxford. This is a great way for community members and visitors to enjoy the outdoors and improve their health. The map shows several routes leading from Wood Farm Health Centre to meadows, nature reserves, parks and woodlands.
Get to know your green spaces
Warneford Meadow
This grassland and mature orchard is home to butterflies, badgers and birds such as skylarks, meadow pipits and owls.
Lye Valley
The valley is a unique habitat. It supports over 20 species of rare plants, of which 14 are endangered in England. It is also abundant in wildlife, with unusual insects including the brown hairstreak butterfly and glow-worms; birds such as the reed warbler; plus reptiles, foxes and badgers. Find out more from Friends of Lye Valley.
CS Lewis Nature Reserve
This peaceful woodland and large pond used to belong to Oxford-based author CS Lewis. It was said he enjoyed strolling here while writing his famous Narnia book series. The pond, a flooded Victorian clay pit, is full of aquatic plants, and toads migrate here to spawn in spring. There are impressive displays of dragonflies and damselflies in summer. Learn more about the nature reserve here.
Brasenose Woods & Magdalen Woods
Magdalen and Brasenose Woods were once joined together as part of the ancient Royal Forest of Shotover. The woods have beautiful mature oaks, hazel coppices, field maple, silver birch, aspen, beech, rowan, wild cherry and yew trees, to name a few!
Shotover Country Park
Get ready to climb a hill for a spectacular view! Explore 117 hectares of beautiful ancient woodland, which was once a Royal Forest and hunting ground. The woods are cycling and riding friendly and are also great for families, with a popular natural sandpit. Read more about the park’s history and facilities here.
Rock Edge Nature Reserve
This reserve is a remnant of the limestone quarries once worked here. The rocks exposed in the cliff face are of Upper Jurassic age, around 140-150 million years old. The site has an abundance of nectar and pollen-bearing lime-loving wildflowers – a vital source of nourishment for moths, butterflies, soldier flies and hoverflies. Friends of Lye Valley has more information.