Bradley Wood
Bradley Wood belongs to the people of Ashbourne and is a favourite place for dog-walkers. Its just a short way along the Belper Road.
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The woods are just 5 minutes drive from Ashbourne town centre, on the A517 to Belper. There is plenty of parking in roadside laybys.
Its around 10 minutes cycle from Ashbourne town centre, on the A517 to Belper.
It's an easy walk from Ashbourne with several possible routes. You can just walk along the main road but there are much nicer ways to get there. See countryside walks 2 and 4 on the Plan Your Visit page.
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The woods cover almost 40 acres of steeply sloping hillside.
The land was owned by Captain Henry Fitzherbert-Wright, who gave it to the townspeople of Ashbourne in 1935. With this donation Captain Fitzherbert Wright expressed the hope that it would be a means of providing a pleasant haunt for the people of Ashbourne and their children and would be held in perpetuity.
it is now a woodland and wildlife oasis, with magnificent beech trees, gnarled old oaks, and a wide diversity of other trees and vegetation. Its many regular walkers can see buzzards, red kites,woodpeckers and squirrels as well as numerous other smaller woodland birds.
In 2013 the Wood was registered by Ashbourne Town Council with the Woodland Trust as a Heritage Wood, and as a result it is now recognised for protection from development.
With its network of narrow undulating paths it is a perfect place to walk, and enjoy the beauty and wildness of the natural environment.