Prestwood Local Nature Reserve (picnic site) and Local Wildlife Site

View location of Prestwood Local Nature Reserve on My Wycombe

At just two hectares Prestwood Local Nature Reserve (LNR) is one of the smaller nature reserves managed by our Woodland Service. The LNR was recognised for its value for the community and wildlife and received its title in 1993. Members of Prestwood Nature conservation group have long been involved in the management and monitoring of the site.

You can view the website for Prestwood Nature conservation group below.

In May 2011 the site was designated as a Local Wildlife Site in recognition of' "diverse chalk grassland with some rare species and an excellent site for public enjoyment and education". The site has come along way since being used as a car dump in 1975!

Area profile

Situated in a small rural valley, the LNR is only a few miles from High Wycombe. The reserve has a small car park that can be accessed from the Hampden Road, not far from the turning into Perks Lane. Picnic tables are located along the fringes of the car park. The reserve rises up from the car park where permissive paths can be followed.

Best time to visit

In April you may catch the primroses and cowslips at their best forming a virtual carpet of yellow, certainly a sight to lift the spirits! Spring butterflies including dingy and grizzled skippers and green hairstreak can regularly be seen. Keep an eye out for the duke of burgundy which has been seen here in recent years.

Bring a picnic in high summer and you will be greeted by a myriad of colourful wild flowers on the grassland. Close your eyes and listen to the many insects humming and chirping and the cold days of winter will be a distant memory. Relax and let Prestwood LNR work its magic.

Wildlife in the area

Throughout the summer months you can expect many other chalk grassland specialities such as common spotted orchid, bee orchid, sweet briar, field scabious, clustered bellflower, marjoram and chiltern gentian besides many more

The managed scrub areas of the reserve include blackthorn, hawthorn, spindle tree, dogwood, wayfaring tree and hazel. The scrub areas are cut back on a rotation to maintain a mixed age structure and micro-habitats (sheltered warm areas) which are especially important to invertebrates. The clearance provides temporary open ground where new plant life can establish. This helps many butterflies, moths and other invertebrates.

Prestwood LNR also has a stronghold of glow-worms, once much more abundant than it is now, the female of this beetle can found glowing at night during the summer to attract a mate.

Shy retiring birds such as bullfinch, blackcap, garden warbler can be heard calling and singing in the cover of the scrub areas. They can be seen more readily during April and May, when pairing up and feeding their young make them a little braver. Red kite, buzzard and kestrel are all regularly seen here too. Keep an eye and ear out for ravens who are increasingly frequent visitors to this valley.

Signs of badgers can be seen around the reserve, when looking for worms or other food the badger rakes up an almost square clod of earth. Watch out, some of these depressions in the ground are then used as toilets! Foxes, deer and the edible dormouse all make use of this exceptional LNR.