Welcombe Hills | Warwickshire Wildlife Trust

Perfect reserve for walking and taking in the views across the landscape with flower-rich grassland, woods and ponds

Location

Close to the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-on-Avon

Warwickshire

CV37 6XR

OS Map Reference

SP 205 565

Know before you go

Size

60 hectares

Parking information

Parking available in Maidenhead Road and off Ingon Lane, Clopton. Alternatively there is a car park on the A439. Take care when crossing this busy road. As you leave the car park, cross the road and turn right.

Grazing animals

Cattle: Apr - Oct

Walking trails

Steep slopes in parts, access via kissing gates

Access

Steep slopes in parts, access via kissing gates.

Dogs

Dogs permitted

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

March to October

About the reserve

What's it like to visit?

The Welcombe Hills offer delightful walks through grassland and woodland. Woolly thistle, quaking-grass and the diminutive adder’s-tongue grow in the grasslands where ant hills created by yellow meadow ants are a distinctive feature. The woodland contains oak, horse-chestnut and beech with English elm. Birds are plentiful, with great spotted woodpecker, sparrowhawk, little owl, treecreeper and finches enjoying the woodland where ravens breed in spring. Brimstone butterflies are numerous in the spring sunshine.

History of the Welcombe Hills: a Shakespearean tale

The reserve may have got its name from a historic well found here with its inscription 'SJC 1686'. Margaret, daughter of William Clopton who died in 1592 supposedly drowned here. It was around this time that Shakespeare was writing his famous play, Hamlet, and its believed that this tragic event provided the inspiration for his 'Ophelia' and her lonely death.

What you can do here

Enjoy a peaceful, woodland walk
Listen to the audio trail and discover the reserve's secrets
Have a picnic
Find the monolith
Hug an ancient tree
Listen out for green woodpeckers

Volunteer work party at this reserve!

Meet monthly on a Friday:

Try out conservation tasks on your local nature reserve
Meet new people and make new friends!
Help protect wildlife and restore wildflower meadows
Do your bit for your local community
No prior experience or minimum commitment required

Want to find out more?

Let us know you’re interested! Email volunteer@wkwt.org.uk or call 024 7630 2912.

Audio trail

In the spring of 2016, a unique partnership project from Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Playbox Theatre and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust completed an audio trail across the Welcombe Hills. The project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The audio trail can be downloaded prior to your visit or you can access the audio on your mobile phone by scanning the QR codes located at key points on site or visit Warwickshire Wildlife Trust's 'Wild Trails' website to access the audio and download them to your phone.

For more information about the Welcombe Hills, we recommend Gavin Griffiths' website www.thewelcombehills.co.uk.