Knowles Coppice

In the heart of the Wyre Forest National Nature Reserve lies Knowles Coppice; a mature sessile oak woodland, a small meadow and a short stretch of the Dowles Brook.

The main block of woodland is situated on a small plateau of acidic soils with a further long strip on steep streamside banks.  The small meadow has more basic soils that have been deposited by the brook.

Along with the oaks, the wood also contains birch, holly, wild service trees and planted larch.  Cowslips, devil’s-bit scabious, common valerian and wood club-rush grow in the meadows.  The damp sides of the brook are home to ferns and mosses whilst there’s a chance you may see dippers, grey wagtails and kingfishers on the brook itself.

With the disappearance of commercial coppicing, the wood has changed much in the last few decades but it remains a beautiful place and an area of remarkable ecological importance.