Easy Access Trail

The Deerbank

This historic area provides an excellent example of a Medieval boundary bank of the Wood. The Deerbank (first mapped in 1593) surrounded the whole wood until about 1930 and the fragments remaining reveal that, at different periods, there was an external ditch to prevent the entry of deer or cattle, which would otherwise browse the emergent coppice growth, and an internal ditch to prevent deer escaping, indicating Norsey's use as a deerpark at some stage.

The trail also passes the tumulus, a Bronze Age burial mound, which provides evidence of human presence in Norsey between 1000 BC and 400 BC.

The Butterfly Ride

The broad verges of this pleasant, airy ride support wild flowers, plants and meadow grasses, which provide habitats for a variety of butterflies, including Comma (Polygonia c-album), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Painted Lady (Cynthia cardui), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Skippers (Hesperiidae) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria). For further details, see the newsletter article.

The ride leads back to the Information Centre.