Linford Wood

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Please can we remind all dog walkers to keep their pets on leads in the woods during breeding season (March to September).

Linford Wood is located 1 km north of Central Milton Keynes within ‘Linford Wood grid-square’. Linford Wood has been woodland for at least 700 years. It was enclosed as a deer park in 1284 with a bank, ditch and fence, providing for hunting, pig pannage and other grazing and was managed for several centuries as part of the Great Linford Manor Estate. The wood was connected to its north-east by a tree-lined lane to Great Linford village and the Manor House.

The date when Stanton Wood was planted is not known. It is not shown as woodland on the 1678 estate map, but is represented as woodland on the Ordnance Survey map dated 1833-1835. Linford Wood now covers 39.3ha (97.1 acres) with the adjoining Stanton Wood being 1.8ha (4.4 acres) in size.

The management aims of the Parks Trust (owners of the wood since 1992) is to maintain and enhance the semi-natural ancient woodland character, conservation interest, recreational and landscape value of the woodland environs (including edges) of both Linford Wood and Stanton Wood. Further details can be found in the Linford Wood Management Plan.

Stanton Wood

Stanton Wood is situated south-west of Linford Wood, within the Heelands grid-square, and separated from it by the V7 grid-road, Saxon Street; prior to the construction of the grid road it was part of Linford Wood. It is flanked on its south-west side by playing fields and to its north by a hotel, and is 4.4 acres in size. The date when Stanton Wood was planted is not known. Stanton Wood is predominantly long-established secondary woodland planted over ridge and furrow fields; its canopy is mainly Ash, Oak and Field Maple. Stanton Wood is accessible only from redways and has a circuit of wood-chip paths.

Don’t miss!

Sculptures
Look carefully as you explore the wood and you might be able to find a series of wooden sculptures peeking out of the undergrowth or looking down at you from trees. Find out about the artworks at Linford Wood and in our other parks here.

Wildlife
Deer, badgers and foxes are among the creatures you may catch sight of if you visit at a quiet time of day, but Linford Wood is especially noteworthy for its bird and insect life in the open rides. Look out for the Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Tree Creeper, Willow Warbler and the Sparrowhawk and Tawny Owl. Come out early on a spring morning to hear the fantastic dawn chorus.

From late June you may see many of the butterfly species attracted to the woodland’s abundant plantlife. As with any ancient woodland, the flora in Linford Wood is rich and varied, meaning that there is always something new to see: from the amazing bluebell displays in spring, through summer flowers to the fungal displays of autumn and winter.

BSI Pond and Meadow
Local company BSI, has generously paid for work in Linford Wood for several years running. This includes laying the hedge along the V7 side of the wood and seeding a wildflower meadow along the grassland adjoining H4.
The most recent project has been the restoration of the pond outside the south western corner of the wood. In time this pond should become a valuable wildlife site, and home to threatened species of amphibian.

Events
For details of events in Linford Wood see the What’s On pages.

Car parking
The car park for this site is located off the V7 Saxon Street adjacent to a BP garage and the large communications mast.

Toilets
There are no public toilets in the wood.

Disabled access
Access is superb throughout the wood as nearly all paths are hard surface. The two grass rides within the wood might prove too soft for wheelchairs or buggies after periods of heavy rain.