Easy Access Trail

The Main Ride

Archaeological finds in Norsey Wood include Iron Age and Roman pottery and a potter's kiln not far from the View Point 1. This ride may well have its origins in the Iron Age and may have been used to transport wood to fire the kilns. Today, the ride is kept clear of overhanging branches to allow light to the woodland verges and to create habitats for a variety of plants, insects and birds. In spring and summer, the wild flowers include Primrose (Primula vulgaris), Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria), Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens), Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), Red Campion (Silene dioica) and Rosebay Willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium).

A Woodland Scene

Before the Roman era, Norsey was an ancient wildwood consisting of Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), Hazel (Corylus avellana), Oak (Quercus), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and Alder (Alnus glutinosa). Today, the predominant species is Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa), probably introduced by the Romans, as a more prolific source of timber for their constant needs.

Continuous supplies were and are achieved by coppicing, which involves rotational cutting of areas of woodland on a 12-20 year cycle to produce regular crops of poles. Today the timber is used in fencing and rustic crafts.

This section of the trail provides examples of different stages of the coppicing cycle. It allows sunlight to reach previously shaded woodland floor, allowing the generation of flora, such as Bluebells (Endymion non-scriptus), Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella), Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa) and Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon). View Point 2 in this section provides a fine display of bluebells each spring. The shaded parts also support a variety of fungi in the autumn, for example, Birch Bracket (Piptoporus betulinus), Common Earth-ball (Scleroderma citrinum), Stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus) and Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria).