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Avoncliff Wood appeal, Bath

We can now keep this sleeping beauty safe forever and the magic of its unspoiled ancient woodland alive.

Avoncliff Wood is a rare and beautiful ancient woodland.

Credit: Phil Formby / WTML

The wood is on the banks of the River Avon.

Credit: Phil Formby / WTML

Orange-tip butterflies can be spotted here.

Credit: Richard Becker / WTML

The woodland floor is carpeted with wild garlic in spring.

Credit: Phil Formby / WTML

Greater horseshoe bats have been recorded in the wood.

Credit: iStock.com / Remus86

Avoncliff Wood is now in our care

Thanks to your generous donations and support from Nationwide Building Society, we’ve taken this picturesque ancient woodland, along with 26 acres of adjacent land, into our expert care. We can also fund long term conservation work to protect the wood and benefit local wildlife.

Credit: Phil Formby / WTML

Ancient woodland stronghold

Plucked straight from the pages of a fairytale, Avoncliff is an enchanting wood just a few miles outside the historic city of Bath. Resting on the bank of the River Avon, this 48 acre ancient woodland is a true sleeping beauty.

Credit: Richard Becker / WTML

Sanctuary for wildlife

Left undisturbed for generations, with no formal paths and little human intervention, the wood has flourished into a tranquil haven for wildlife. Swathes of ramsons carpet the woodland floor and greater horseshoe bats and orange-tip butterflies have been recorded here.

Find out more about Avoncliff

Woodland Trust Wood

Avoncliff Wood

Avoncliff Upper Westwood

30.13 ha (74.45 acres)

Explore this wood

The future of Avoncliff Wood

Now that the wood is in our care, we're working to keep it special. Our plans include:

  • continue environmental surveys to fully assess the wood, and the wildlife and trees within it
  • monitor and manage the effects of ash dieback, a devastating disease present here and across the UK. Our research will help the wood and wildlife to flourish
  • care for the trees planted by volunteers as part of the Big Climate Fightback in 2019. These trees were planted next the existing ancient woodland and together with areas of natural regeneration will create a wildlife-rich mosaic of trees and open space
  • support the local community and volunteers to care for the orchard planted in Dec 2019
  • improve the paths and visitor information

Support our work

We can't do any of this without you. We have thousands more woods like Avoncliff, all over the UK, which we work tirelessly to care for and restore.

Your donation will help us keep woods open for people to enjoy and wildlife to thrive in, whatever you can give.

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