The Betts by Carol Dixon
The Betts Reserve
Location
Know before you go
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Dawn to duskBest time to visit
All year roundAbout the reserve
The wood is managed carefully to maintain a mix of high forest, coppice and open glades for birds and small mammals, including dormice. Visitors may be rewarded with glimpses of nutchatches, great 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 founding member of the Trust.
Accessibility and facilities
There is one circular path which is 750m long and would take 45 minutes to walk. There is a pedestrian gate at the entrance and a bench located 50 metres away. The paths are narrow with obstructions such as tree roots and branches, may be muddy in wet weather and include steep slopes and steps.
