Places Of Interest

Gloucester Wildlife trust

Collin Park Wood
An area of semi-natural, ancient woodland lying within gently rolling countryside around the River Leadon. It consists mainly of small-leaved lime trees and sessile oak, but also has one of the highest concentrations of wild service tree in Gloucestershire. The fruit of this tree was once known as ‘chequers’ and sold in bunches as children’s sweets.
Collin Park Wood nature reserve is full of woodland flowers throughout spring and summer, including bluebell, foxglove, yellow archangel, wood sage and wood-sorrel.
Bird life is abundant throughout the year, with the distinctive calls of great and lesser spotted woodpeckers being joined by the gentle melodies of willow warblers, chiffchaff and blackcap.

Entry is free
There is some roadside parking along Brand Green Road
There are no grazing animals
There are two waymarked trails to follow
There is a wide gateway at the entrance
The woodland is steep in places and can be uneven underfoot depending on the weather
Dogs are permitted.

Ketford Banks
Between Redmarley and Dymock
Newent
Nearest postcode is GL18 2BL
Ketford Banks is a small, steep sandy bank, famed for its displays of wild daffodils in early spring. Along with daffodils, the reserve supports the buff-tailed bumble bees that are their main pollinators, and beautiful displays of bluebells and foxgloves in spring and summer.
Size- 1 hectare
Entry is free
Hebridean Sheep graze from late summer into winter
Walking trails
The reserve is reached from a public bridleway between Redmarley and Dymock, and is part of a local daffodil and poets’ trails
Access
The path at Ketford Banks is a bridleway, which means it can be used by pedestrians and horses, although its steepness means it’s inaccessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs and watch our for rabbit holes underfoot
Dogs are permitted on a lead.
The Banks are found at an elevated position, so on a clear day you can see west towards Wales, making this reserve one of the most interesting and photogenic of the remaining areas of wild daffodils in the county.
Buff-tailed bumblebees and frogs are frequent visitors, while nibbled hazelnuts show the nature reserve is home to wood mice and bank voles. Mature black poplar trees can also be spotted.

Vell Mill
Half a mile east of Dymock
Forest of Dean
The nearest postcode is GL18 2DG
One of the best surviving wild daffodil meadows and part of the 'Golden Triangle', this nature reserve forms part of the areas where, in the past, thousands of people would visit during the spring - traveling up from London on the train to pick the flowers to take back and sell.
Advances in agriculture were used to ‘improve’ Vell Mill’s grassland over the years, which meant it has been a long and carefully thought out process to encourage the return of wildflowers through haymaking and grazing.
Vell Mill’s daffodils are complemented by a young orchard. In 2011, over 60 traditional Gloucestershire varieties of apple, pear and plum trees were planted as a small step towards redressing the loss of 75% of the county’s orchards over the past 50 years.
Traditional orchards are important habitats for amphibians, mammals, birds, bats and more, which not only forage and feast upon the fruits and flowers, but upon the insects that thrive in these now rare habitats.
In time, this new young orchard will connect other traditional orchards in the area, enabling wildlife to move and colonies to merge and become more robust. The trees are likely to attract nesting birds such as green woodpecker, bullfinch, fieldfare, wren and song thrush, and insects such as bumblebee and noble chafer and stag beetles.
The Meadow is the ideal setting for wildflowers such as cowslip, common dog-violet, meadow vetchling, barren strawberry and greater stitchwort to flourish, which in turn attract butterflies such as brimstone and peacock.

Ledbury
Eastnor Castle
Eastnor Deer Park
Hellens Manor
Bibury