Wort’s Causeway, Great Shelford, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB22 3FB

Beechwoods Nature Reserve

Broadleaf woodland

Place photograph

6.3

Wildland

1–2 hours

Time

Free

Cost

Peaceful

Feel

WoodlandRemote countrysideWalkersWildlife loversPhotographersFamilies

Why it's Wildland

6.3

Planted in the 1840s, Beechwoods is a compact reserve where mature beech trees shade visible medieval plough terraces. In spring, white helleborines flower on its dry chalky soil.

This is not ancient woodland: its original beeches were planted in the 1840s. What makes the small reserve worth seeking out is the contrast between those mature trees, medieval plough terraces beneath them and spring-flowering white helleborines—an orchid the Wildlife Trust describes as one of its most northerly outposts.

Peaceful · Secluded

Find your way

Open map

Wort’s Causeway, Great Shelford, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB22 3FB

Opening map…

Explore around here Get directions

Know this place a little better?

Add photos Add video Add a waypoint Improve information Report a change

The experience

Allow around 1–2 hours for an unhurried woodland visit. Explore the paths, look for the medieval plough terraces and, in spring, search beneath the beeches for white helleborines. The reserve has no café, shop or public toilet; bring supplies if you plan to linger.

Things to do

Walk among the mature beeches

Take a quiet stroll through the compact reserve, whose mature original trees make it feel more secluded than its size suggests.

Around 1 hour

Find the medieval plough terraces

Look beneath the trees for terraces left by medieval ploughing, a physical trace of the landscape before the wood was planted.

Look for white helleborines

Search the dry chalky soil beneath the beeches for this spring-flowering orchid. The Wildlife Trust describes the reserve as one of its most northerly outposts.

Watch for woodland birds

The reserve lists great spotted and green woodpeckers and nuthatches among its species. In years with a good beech-mast crop, large flocks of bramblings may gather.

Make a day of it

Quick escape · Around 1 hour

Quick woodland escape

01
Park in the layby on Worts Causeway and take care crossing the road to the wood.
02
Follow the paths through the mature beech trees.
03
Look for medieval plough terraces beneath the trees; in spring, search for white helleborines.

Verified history

Beechwoods was originally planted in the 1840s. Medieval plough terraces remain visible beneath the trees. A new area of broadleaved trees was planted west of the old wood in 1992. The reserve’s original beech trees are mature; the Wildlife Trust reports that beech-bark fungi and autumn gales have contributed to trees falling, with saplings growing in the gaps.

Hidden details

Medieval plough terraces beneath the beeches — The ground retains visible medieval plough terraces, easy to overlook while focusing on the mature trees.

A northerly outpost for white helleborines — These orchids thrive on the dry chalky soil and flower in spring before the beech leaves cast deep shade. The Wildlife Trust describes the reserve as one of their most northerly outposts.

Bramblings when beech mast is plentiful — In years with a good beech-mast crop, large flocks of bramblings gather to feed in the wood.

When to go

March · April · May · October · November · December · January · February · Any time; the reserve is open all day. Avoid high winds.

Spring is the time to look for white helleborines before the beech leaves cast deep shade. Autumn brings beech colour, and a good beech-mast crop can attract large flocks of bramblings.

Paths can become muddy after rain; walking boots or wellies are advised. The reserve may be dangerous in high winds because beech trees can shed branches. The layby is on a fast road with poor visibility.

What to look for

Look beneath the mature beeches for medieval plough terraces. In spring, search the dry chalky soil for white helleborines, which flower before the trees’ leaves cast deep shade. Watch for bramblings in years when beech mast is plentiful.

The story

1840s planting; medieval plough terraces.

Best time to go

Spring, when white helleborines flower before the beech canopy casts deep shade; autumn brings colour and, in good beech-mast years, bramblings.

Visit in spring to look for white helleborines flowering before the beech canopy deepens the shade. Autumn offers beech colour; in years with a good beech-mast crop, large flocks of bramblings may gather.

How long to spend

1–2 hours

Perfect for

Walkers · Wildlife lovers · Photographers · Families

Practical information

Opening & access

A Wildlife Trust reserve open at all times, with free entry. The entrance has kissing gates; access is difficult for pushchairs and wheelchair users. Take care crossing the road from the layby, where visibility is poor.

Parking

Free parking is available in a large layby on Worts Causeway, opposite the wood. The road is fast and visibility is poor; take care crossing. Bike racks are at the entrance.

Toilets

No public toilets.

Food & drink

No café, shop or visitor centre. Bring drinks and snacks for a longer visit.

Dogs

Dogs must be kept on a lead.

Accessibility

Kissing gates at the entrance make access difficult for pushchairs and wheelchair users. Paths can be muddy; walking boots or wellies are advised after rain. Avoid visiting in high winds because beech trees may shed branches.

Cost

Free