Jonathan Cartwright
This tiny part of the important Wyre Forest consists mainly of oak, hazel coppice, alder and ash.
The wood is managed carefully to maintain a mix of high forest, coppice and open glades for birds and small mammals, including dormice. Visitors to The Betts may be rewarded with glimpses of nutchatches, great and lesser spotted woodpeckers and summer warblers. There are many bird boxes to encourage hole-nesting birds (including owls), bats and even dormice.
The Lem Brook, a tributary of Dowles Brook, is used by dippers, grey wagtails and kingfishers. Visitors should also keep a lookout for brimstone, holly blue, red admiral and speckled wood butterflies throughout summer.
The reserve was purchased in 1983 and named in the memory of the late John Betts, a founder member of the Trust.
Species and habitats
- Habitats
- Woodland
- Species
- Dipper, Kingfisher, Otter, Grey Wagtail, Brimstone, Slow-worm, Common Dormouse, Ramsons
Nearby nature reserves
- Knowles Coppice
- 3 miles - Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
- Hunthouse Wood
- 4 miles - Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
- Cramer Gutter
- 5 miles - Shropshire Wildlife Trust