Visitor Guidelines

The reserve clings to the side of a steep valley and has upper and lower access paths following the valley contour above the stream. Park where you can on the roadside and walk along the track for about half a mile, and then cross the stream and join the path on the opposite bank. The gate to the reserve is a few yards up the path.

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Description

The position of the wood on a steep slope, the presence of a number of indicator plants, as well as historical records, all provide evidence of the wood's ancient origin. It was certainly managed as coppice in the 1840's, and probably much earlier, as the name "Vallets" is a local dialect word for portions of a wood felled in rotation. The present-day woodland shows clearly how it has developed from management practices in the past. The trees are nearly all sessile oak of similar age and growth, and this uniformity probably stems from selection for oak in the past in order to produce oak bark for the tanning industry. Later, but still over 100 years ago, the coppice was converted into standards by singling the growth from the old coppice stools; the knobbly bases of the oaks today clearly show their coppice origins. The shrub layer is poorly developed, partly due to light sheep grazing, partly due to deliberate removal of hazels by a previous owner.

Growth of the oaks on the middle slopes has been very slow due to the underlying sandy soil being thin and infertile. Cow-wheat, wood sage and sweet vernal grass are typical in this region. Halfway along the wood where the Silurian siltstone rock lies close below the surface, heather and bilberry grow. Along the upper boundary the soil is deeper, clayey and more fertile; oak growth has been stronger and patches of bluebell and yellow archangel occur. Towards the head of the valley, birches increasingly appear among the oaks.

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Present Management

Future management aims to retain the character of the wood as a sessile oakwood 'hanger', allowing the young standard oaks to grow on with only minimal thinning to facilitate proper crown development. Any natural oak regeneration leading to a wood of more mixed age will be encouraged. Eventually, a small coppice coupe is planned for the south-east end of the reserve to provide more open feeding areas for warblers and flycatchers. Minimal thinning will help to keep the canopy closed, suppressing bramble and bracken growth, whilst encouraging retention of the distinctive cow-wheat/wood sage/vernal grass ground flora in its present form.

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Acquisition Details

Freehold purchased in 1972.

The reserve is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Natural England in recognition of its importance for wildlife and conservation.

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Best time to visit		Early May for spring flowers and bird song, mid-summer for Silver-washed Fritillary.
Habitat		Ancient Sessile Oak woodland.
Size		3.4 hectares (8.5 acres).
Specialites		Bluebell (4-5), Yellow Archangel (4-7), Cow-wheat (5-9), Bilberry (4-6), Wood Warbler(4-7), Tree Pipit (4-7), Pied Flycatcher (4-7). Silver-washed Fritillary (6-8) and Wood White (5-8) butterflies.
Parking		There is limited parking on the roadside.
OS map		Explorer 201
Nearby Reserves		Titley Pool & Mowley Wood.

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