Frith Wood

Autumn leaves at Frith Woods

Autumn leaves at Frith Woods (c) Nathan Millar

Autumn leaves

Frith Woods (c) Nathan Millar 

Autumn leaves at Frith Woods

Frith Woods (c) Nathan Millar

Frith Wood Nature Reserve is a wonderful ancient beech wood that straddles the ridge overlooking Painswick Valley and Slad Valley near Stroud.

Location

Three miles north east of Stroud on the B4070 near Bull's Cross close to Slad
Stroud
The nearest postcode to the north entrance is GL6 7QS, while the postcode for the south entrance is GL6 7QT

OS Map Reference

South entrance SO873086
What3Words: hamper.quoted.curve

North entrance SO876086
What3Words: hospitals.drive.triathlon
A static map of Frith Wood

Know before you go

Size
24 hectares
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Entry fee

Free
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Parking information

Free parking is available at the Bulls Cross intersection (Slad Road and Yokehouse Lane)

Grazing animals

None

Walking trails

Frith Wood Nature Reserve is part of the Laurie Lee Wildlife Way

Access

This nature reserve is located on steep and undulating ground, so the paths are diagonal across the slopes
Paths are uneven and can reach a linear gradient of 10% in places

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

Open access throughout the year

Best time to visit

Year round

About the reserve

The soaring trees currently occupying Frith Wood are believed to result from seed from Belgium planted during the early 1800s, although this nature reserve has been recorded as being a beech woodland for over 1,000 years. GWT began leasing Frith Wood from 1966 and purchased it in 1987.

This woodland is home to rare plants, including wood barley, white helleborine and yellow bird’s nest. Spring sees the woodland floor carpeted in bluebells and wild garlic. Woodruff, an ancient woodland indicator plant, can also be found in the spring. Holly blue, silver-washed fritillary and comma butterflies visit the reserve, along with the scarlet tiger moth. The small and rarely seen bulin snail Ena montana, with its conical shell, has been recorded here. Birds commonly spotted include great spotted woodpecker and jackdaw. The wood is also rich in fungi, such as the common inkcap.

To continue to encourage a wide variety of wildlife, glades within the woodland will be enhanced and expanded. Traditional woodland management techniques like coppicing will be carried out by staff and volunteers to maintain a diverse age structure among the trees.

Environmental designation

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

More detailed directions

From Stroud

Follow the B4070 for three miles. Go through Slad village until you come to Bull’s Cross. Parking is available on the right in the large layby, where cars can be left at owners' risk.

From Cheltenham 

From the Air Balloon roundabout take the A417 towards Stroud, after just 0.9 miles turn right onto the B4070, then turn left after 0.5 miles to stay on the B4070 for 5 miles (becoming Slad Road) where you will reach Bull’s Cross. On the left is a large layby.

From Gloucester

Follow the B4073 until you reach the A46 T-junction, Painswick. Here turn right onto the A46. Then take the second left onto Bisley Street. Take the second right onto St Mary’s Street and the first left onto Tibbiwell Lane (becoming Greenhouse Lane) and follow for 1 mile. Then turn left onto Yokehouse Lane, where you’ll shortly reach Slad Road and Bull’s Cross. Turn left and parking is available in a layby on the immediate right.