Off Mymms Drive, Brookmans Park, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire AL9 7AF
Gobions Wood
Ancient woodland
Source image
6.1
Wildland
1–2 hours
Time
Free
Cost
Peaceful
Feel
Why it's Wildland
6.1A 36-hectare reserve where spring bluebells and wood anemones meet the surviving traces of an 18th-century pleasure garden—including giant and coastal redwoods.
Gobions Wood is more than a bluebell walk: ancient woodland, a former pleasure garden and a varied mix of trees, grassland, ponds and hedges give it several layers to explore. Current ash-dieback closures mean visitors should check which paths are open before planning a route.
Peaceful · Ancient-feeling
Find your way
Open mapOff Mymms Drive, Brookmans Park, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire AL9 7AF
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The experience
A short woodland visit can focus on the spring flowers, old garden trees and birdlife. Some paths are closed for safety, so check the Wildlife Trust notice and use only routes currently open.
Things to do
See the spring woodland flowers
Look for bluebells and wood anemones, identified by the Wildlife Trust and Birdingplaces as notable spring flowers at the reserve.
Part of a short visit
Find the redwoods
Look for the giant redwood and coastal redwood that Birdingplaces reports as surviving from the former pleasure-garden area.
Watch and listen for woodland birds
Birdingplaces suggests watching open areas for buzzard, sparrowhawk or red kite, and listening in the wood for great spotted woodpecker. Sightings are possibilities, not guarantees.
Look for fungi
The Wildlife Trust highlights diverse fungi as an autumn feature of the reserve.
Explore a circular walk
A published Brookmans and Gobions Wood route is a 6.1 km loop, but its described route includes unmade, uneven paths, roots, slopes, woodland steps, kissing gates and footbridges. Check closures and route conditions first.
1–1.5 hours according to the route source; allow extra time for stops and current conditions
Make a day of it
Quick escape · About 1 hour
Quick woodland and spring-flower visit
- 01
Check the Wildlife Trust’s ash-dieback closure notice before travelling.
- 02
Enter only by a route confirmed open and follow the permitted paths.
- 03
In spring, look for bluebells and wood anemones; notice the contrasting woodland and open areas.
- 04
Turn back if your intended route is closed or conditions make the path unsuitable.
Half day · About 2–3 hours
Make a half day of the woodland and garden traces
- 01
Check current path closures and parking arrangements before setting out.
- 02
Use a currently open route to explore woodland, grassland, hedges and ponds.
- 03
Look for spring flowers, the giant and coastal redwoods, and birds around open areas and water.
- 04
Only extend onto a circular route if its access and conditions are confirmed; the available route description warns that paths can be muddy, uneven and overgrown.
Verified history
Birdingplaces describes part of the reserve as a former 18th-century garden and reports that giant redwood and coastal redwood trees from that garden survive. The supplied sources do not establish further dates or details about the garden’s owners or design.
Hidden details
Redwoods from the former pleasure garden — Birdingplaces reports that a giant redwood and a coastal redwood can still be seen in the area once occupied by an 18th-century garden.
Watch the pond margins — The birding account mentions grey heron and kingfisher at the fishing lake. Their presence is not guaranteed, and no fishing permission is implied.
When to go
April · May · October · November · No source-backed time-of-day recommendation available.
The Wildlife Trust highlights bluebells and wood anemones in spring and diverse fungi in autumn. Exact peak weeks are not established in the supplied sources.
The published route description warns that woodland and meadow paths can be muddy, overgrown and uneven, with exposed roots and slopes; it recommends sturdy footwear and notes that wetter periods can make conditions more challenging. Check current path closures.
The route
- ascent
- 56 m
- stiles
- No stiles reported; several kissing gates, footbridges and flights of woodland steps are reported.
- surface
- Mainly unmade woodland and meadow paths; can be muddy, uneven and overgrown, with exposed roots and steep slopes in places.
- distance
- 6.1 km
- duration
- 1–1.5 hours estimated by the route source
- difficulty
- Moderate according to AllTrails; Birdingplaces describes its circular trail as easy. Terrain and current closures warrant checking before setting out.
- route shape
- Loop
- start point
- The AllTrails route description starts at Brookmans public house in Brookmans Park. This is not confirmed as a current official reserve route or an open access point.
- parking start
- The Wildlife Trust says there is no official parking at the reserve. Birdingplaces describes on-street parking in Mymms Drive and a free car park at western Gobions Open Space; check signs, access and current availability. Do not block access.
- Woodland and spring flowers
- Gobions Open Space and its described lake
- Former pleasure-garden landscape
- Optional open-countryside section
What to look for
In spring, look for bluebells and wood anemones. Seek out the giant and coastal redwoods described in the birding-site account, and watch the ponds and open areas for birds. Do not enter closed paths.
The story
18th-century pleasure garden
Best time to go
Spring for bluebells and wood anemones; autumn for fungi.
Visit in spring for bluebells and wood anemones. Autumn is the season highlighted for fungi; check the current path-closure notice before travelling.
How long to spend
1–2 hours
Perfect for
Walkers · Wildlife lovers · Photographers · Families
Before you go
Address
Phone
Website
Listed hours
- Monday: Open 24 hours
- Tuesday: Open 24 hours
- Wednesday: Open 24 hours
- Thursday: Open 24 hours
- Friday: Open 24 hours
- Saturday: Open 24 hours
- Sunday: Open 24 hours
Check before visiting.
Google rating
Practical information
Opening & access
Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust lists the reserve as free to enter. Some paths are currently closed because of ash-dieback-related public-safety concerns; check the Trust’s latest notice before setting out.
Check before visiting
Parking
The Wildlife Trust states there is no official parking. Birdingplaces describes on-street parking in Mymms Drive and a free car park at western Gobions Open Space; check local signs and do not block access.
Check before visiting
Toilets
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Food & drink
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Dogs
Check the reserve’s current guidance and any on-site signs before visiting.
Check before visiting
Accessibility
Some paths are closed because of ash-dieback safety concerns. Route descriptions report uneven woodland paths, roots, slopes, steps, kissing gates and footbridges; check current closures and suitability before visiting.
Check before visiting
Cost
Free
Water
Ponds; a lake is described in the birding-site source. No evidence of permission for swimming or paddling.
Gallery
Place photographsKeep exploring
Around Gobions Wood
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
