Visiting Alvecote Wood
Open Days - download flyer for latest Open Day
Photography Workshop - download flyer
Alvecote Wood is not open all the time to the public. However we hold open days and events here that will allow people to enjoy this special place.
Regretfully after an incident at a recent Open Day, we now have to say that dogs are not permitted under any circumstances (except guide dogs).
If you would like to visit at any other time, please contact us. We are usually able to arrange private viewings for individuals or groups. If you wish to hold a wildlife walk, wildlife watch or birdwatch, please get in touch.
Directions to Alvecote Wood are available here. You are also welcome to download our visitor information leaflet (pdf).
Photography Workshop - Sunday 5th September
Improve your photography at Alvecote
Wood
We will be holding our first ever photography workshop on Sunday 5th September. If you own a digital camera but are sometimes disappointed in the results that you get, or would like to learn more about how to improve your photography, then this is the workshop for you. The day will be divided into four sessions, covering the essential artistic and technical elements of photography. There will be practical exercises to help you improve your photography so that by the end of the day you should be able to take images that are well-composed, properly exposed, and that tell the story that you want them to tell.
Introductory price is £15 per person, excluding meals and drinks. Please e-mail for further information. A flyer is also available to download (pdf)
Open Days 2010 - Sunday 22nd August and Sunday 26th September
The first Open Day at Alvecote Wood
A group are on a guided tour around the wood
On Sunday 22nd August we will have a special event with birds of prey on display. Come and see harris hawks in action, and set a scent lure for trained working dogs to retrieve! Download the flyer for more information.
Entrance is FREE, so please do come along and see what we have been doing!
The woods will be open from 10am to 4pm. Please see the notes below when planning your visit. Guided tours will leave approximately on the hour every hour. The last tour will start at 3pm. It is a good idea to join the guided groups, as this is the safest and most interesting way to enjoy the woods. If you've been before, please come again as there is always something new to see with the change of the seasons and the progress we are making in creating access paths, and with our coppicing, tree-planting and other wildlife activities.
Information leaflets and site maps will be provided, as well as activity sheets for children. There will be a small stall at the Open Days selling our small range of home made products from our own wood, hand made eco-friendly candles, greetings cards, Christmas cards and calendars so if you would like to contribute to our work, this is one way you can help.
Please contact us for more information if you would like to come. Please see our site-map for a preview of what you might see on the day.
Notes for Open Day Visitors - please also read our information leaflet.
Parking: Please note that there is very limited car parking at Alvecote Wood, so if you are able to walk, cycle or share a car, we would be very grateful. There is parking for a few vehicles on the grass near the building.
Dogs: Regretfully after an incident at a recent Open Day we now have to say NO DOGS under any circumstances (except guide dogs). If you bring a dog, it must be left in your car.
Children: We are really keen for children to experience the beauty of Alvecote Wood. However, we remind visitors that there are deep, un-fenced ponds on site, the location of which is not always obvious, as the banks are overgrown. Therefore we would ask that children are kept closely supervised at all times and not allowed to wander off on their own. Please do not allow children to climb on fences, log piles, trees or gates, as these may not be safe and may cause a fall. We will have colouring sheets and woodland activity sheets available for children when they visit, so they can have fun and learn more about the woods.
Old buildings and well: Please do not go up to the old building, old goat shed, or well area. The old barn is unstable, the well is deep, and we are still dealing with an asbestos roof on the old goat shed. In short, the old buldings are not good places to be.
Walking: Most of the paths are rough and grassy or muddy. They will certainly be uneven. We cannot control where rabbits make their holes, which may appear overnight. Please wear stout shoes that you don't mind getting muddy, and please always look where you are putting your feet! You will need to cross some railway sleeper bridges on the main route round the woods, one of which is quite narrow. Please respect any path closures that are in effect - there may be open ditches or other work in progress.
Toilets and water: There are no toilets at Alvecote Wood. There is no drinking water available at Alvecote Wood. We do suggest that you wash your hands after visiting the Wood.
Disabled: There is only a small area accessible by wheelchair at present, although a larger area is accessible if you have an off-road disability scooter. The exact area depends on the weather, as some paths can get waterlogged at certain times of year.
Please respect the wildlife: Please do respect the wildlife here. Please don't pick flowers, pull off branches or twigs, throw sticks or stones into the ponds, or walk on fenced-off areas where we are trying to establish a wildflower meadow.