Ruislip Woods - Park Wood

Throughout the first part of this year, I have explored different parts of Ruislip Woods. Ruislip Woods is over 730 acres of woodland located north of Ruislip and Ruislip Manor and is congregated around Ruislip Lido, and each area of the woods has a different name. Directly above the lido is Copse Wood, which lays on the highest point and known as Duck's Hill after someone's surname; across the main road to the left of Copse Wood is Mad Bess Woods, and a walk through the woods and over another road is Bayhurst Wood. Above the northeastern edge of the lido, bordering Copse Wood, is Poor's Field (see my post about Copse Wood and Poor's Field). Poor's Field is a slightly overgrown meadow, and cattle graze here. The southwestern tip of Copse Wood was once the site of a mansion known as the Battle of Britain House, which was reclaimed by nature after the house burnt down in 1984. Park Wood is located to the south of the lido, just above Ruislip and Ruislip Manor and off of a housing estate with large detached and semi-detached houses.

At the end of February, I explored Park Wood. Due to the lockdown, the public footpaths and trails through the woods and everywhere else have been exceptionally muddy.

At the Ruislip Manor entrance to the woods (near King's College Cafe, named such because the land in Ruislip was originally the property of King's College in Cambridge), was a postbox decorated for Valentine's Day.

The water was very deep in some places.

I don't think I'll be sitting on that bench...

The main throughways through the woods are bridleways. There are horse farms located on the edge of the woods. I have also heard stories about fields of ponies and a beloved donkey that people used to walk past when they went to the woods.

I walked in a loop and made my way west. The entrance off St. Martin's Approach above Ruislip is located here, and there are more wooden pathways and bridges here. Out of all parts of Ruislip Woods that I have explored, this is my favourite part. I think the wooden walkways speak volumes for the use of the trails through the woods here.

On my way, I noticed a lot of green shooting up from the ground. I believe these are bluebells, so I want to come back to have a look in mid-April.