Ban-y-Gor

Ban-y-Gor - Nathan Millar

Ban-y-Gor - Nathan Millar

Ban-y-Gor - Nathan Miller

Ban-y-Gor - Nathan Miller

Ban-y-Gor nature reserve is a secluded and mystical woodland with large ancient coppice and pollards carpeted with ferns and mosses. A single path descends via a small glade towards the River Wye.

Location

North of Tutshill, off the B4228
Chepstow
The postcode for the car park is NP16 7JB, on Lancaut Lane

OS Map Reference

Entrance: ST536967
What3Words: journey.shifts.genius
A static map of Ban-y-Gor

Know before you go

Size
23 hectares
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Entry fee

Free
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Parking information

The postcode for the car park is NP16 7JB, on Lancaut Lane

Grazing animals

None

Walking trails

From the car park, follow the signs that point you towards Ban-y-Gor

The path passes a GWT noticeboard and enters the woodland, starting to descend through the ancient, deciduous trees. About a third of the way to the river the trees open out briefly at the site of an old, abandoned quarry, with a few stone and iron relics, including several large wheels

Access

The paths can be uneven and muddy, with some steeper sections

Dogs

Dogs permitted

When to visit

Opening times

Open access throughout the year

Best time to visit

Throughout the year

About the reserve

Ban-y-Gor provides a secluded and mystical habitat with large ancient coppice and pollards carpeted with ferns and mosses. The tree canopy includes beech, ash, sessile oak, silver birch, and small-leaved lime. Yew is the dominant shrub, particularly beneath the beech trees, while field maple, hawthorn, holly and goat willow can also be found. Hazel coppice thrive amongst the wind blown trees, creating a great environment for dormice.

The conditions are damp and acidic, so the ground flora includes foxglove, woodruff, wild madder, great woodrush, wood sage and wood sorrel. The many ferns include hard shield-fern, hard fern, scaly male-fern and maidenhair spleenwort. Woodland flowers include bluebell and wood anemone.

This is an example of a self-sustaining woodland, with storm damaged trees left to decay in full form creating glades for new tree seed to germinate. Work in the woodland includes control of non-native tree species like sycamore, and brushcutting of the path and glades in autumn to allow early woodland wildflowers to flourish.

Environmental designation

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)