Reserve Map

Gwent Wildlife Trust
Ymddiriedolaeth Natur Gwent

Margaret's Wood Reserve

Near Monmouth. Area: 4 ha

Margaret's Wood is a beautiful ancient woodland situated on the lower slopes of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The wood consists of mixed deciduous tree species with some fine examples of mature oak and beech. Other species include cherry, yew, birch and holly.

There are some ancient boundaries within the site, old moss covered stone walls and old boundary banks lined with beech trees.

Species

Margaret's Wood is a particularly good site for ferns, including populations of the rare oak fern. This site is also well worth a fungus foray in Autumn. A variety of woodland birds can be seen throughout the year, including marsh tit, woodpeckers, nuthatch and treecreeper.

Wild Daffodils by Margaret's Wood Reserve.

In Spring, the woodland floor looks stunning when thousands of bluebells and other spring flowers are in bloom. There are some wild daffodils within the wood, but below the wood the daffodils carpet the open areas of a scrubby slope.

The daffodils come into flower in March and the display is one of the finest wildlife spectacles in Wales. The Welsh daffodil has its stronghold in around the Wye Valley but is absent from most of the rest of Wales.

Access

The reserve is on a hillside, which is accessed by a steep flight of steps from the roadside.

Location SO 525 070

From Monmouth, leave south on the B4293. After approx. 1 mile take the left fork signposted Trellach, Penallt and Chepstow. Continue up the hill along the B4293 then take the left turn to Whitebrook and The Narth. Go straight ahead, across the crossroads and after 1.5 miles the reserve entrance is on the right hand side beside a steep flight of steps just before the Crown Inn. Park by the roadside.