Shenley Wood
Woodland Tranquility : Shenley Wood is one of three ancient woodlands in Milton Keynes. Composed principally of ash and oak trees, with an 'understorey' of hazel, the wood was first recorded in the Domesday survey of 1086. However we know that there were setlements around the wood earlier as Saxon and Roman remains have been found.Today Shenley Wood is a great place to go for a picnic, to see a wide variety of wildlife, or just to relax in a tranquil setting away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Facts and Figures
Location : Shenley Wood is located within the square made by V2 Tattenhoe Street, H5 Portway, V3 Fulmer Street, and H6 Childs Way. Link to map Car park: There is one car park for the site located off Merlewood Drive, just to the east of V2 Tattenhoe Street.
Facilities There are no facilities on site but there is a range of pubs and shops in Shenley Church End about 10 minuites walk away to the east.
Access: There is a hard surface path around the edge of the wood and a short circular hard surfaced path within it. These provide good access for wheelchairs and buggies although some may find the slope up the northern side of the wood to be a bit steep. The interior tarmac path also has textured paving at each seat to assist the partially sighted visitor. The rest of the paths in the wood are soft surface, generally bark chip or grass. These should be moderately accessible for wheelchairs in dry weather.
Shenley Wood is an excellent spot for picnics and is well-provided with a range of seats, tables and benches. In the summer months the meadow area near the car park on the west side of the wood is mown so visitors can enjoy a picnic and relax amongst the wildflowers.
The wood is also a fantastic place to see wildlife. In the spring and early summer there is a riot of colour as the bluebells, celandines and wood anenomes flower. During the autumn you can find an amazing array of fungi on the woodland floor. As the plant cover dies back you may also be lucky enough to see wild animals such as fox, muntjac deer, or even badger. And at any time of year the wood abounds with wild birds though they can often be difficult to see in the woodland canopy.
Just across the V3 Fulmer Street from the wood is Shenley Toot. This small pasture area is a scheduled ancient monument because in 1239 AD it was a moated mott and bailey castle, home to the family of Hugh Earl of Chester. The drawing shows how Shenley Toot might have looked. The earthworks that can be seen today are probably the remains of an 18th century manor's gardens which were also built on the site.
All photographs on this page are by volunteer photographer John Dixon