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  • Swell Wood

Swell Wood

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Address
RSPB Swell Wood, A378, Taunton TA3 6PX
Grid ref
ST360238

The ancient oaks of Swell Wood are part of a strip of woodland extending 10 miles along the ridge from Langport to the Blackdown Hills. Come to find nesting herons and little egrets between March and June, while nuthatches and woodpeckers feed at the car park bird feeders in winter.

Plan your visit

Opening times

All year, from dawn to dusk.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free, but donations are very welcome
Children
Free, but donations are very welcome

Facilities

  • No visitor centre
  • Car park
  • Toilets off-site
  • Accessible toilets off-site
  • No Refreshments
  • Picnic area
  • Guided walks
  • Viewing point
  • Nature trails
  • Shop off-site

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Taunton, 11 miles (17 km) away. Continue the journey to the reserve by bus by making your way to the bus station close to the town centre (0.8 miles from the rail station). Bus stops for services to the town centre are located directly outside the front entrance of the rail station.

By bus

First Group Somerset & Avon/54 bus stop on the A378 at Swell, where the reserve can be accessed via a stile onto the Scarp Trail. If a flat walkway is essential, a request stop may be possible at the brown reserve sign as the reserve entrance is a short distance down the side road. This bus stops automatically at Fivehead but will do a request stop at the reserve entrance or Swell.

By bike

This reserve is close to Route 33 of the National Cycle Network. Cycle hire available from Bowbridge Cycles in Langport, tel: 01458 250350.

By road

Swell Wood is 11 miles east of Taunton. It is accessed from the A378 Langport road between the villages of Fivehead and Curry Rivel (brown signage one mile east of Fivehead). From Taunton, take the A358 towards Ilminster, turn left onto the A378. Take the first turning on your left after leaving the village of Fivehead village to access the reserve entrance.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Get directions from Google Maps
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

What will the weather be like?

11 degrees, Cloudy

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 1.3Mb

Swell Wood trail guide

Contact Swell Wood

  • RSPB Swell Wood, A378, Taunton TA3 6PX
  • swell.wood@rspb.org.uk
  • 01458 252805
  • @RSPBSomerset

What will you see?

Our star species

    Great spotted woodpecker male

    Great spotted woodpecker

    They can be seen visiting the feeding station, where their preferred food is peanuts.

    Grey heron adult

    Grey heron

    More than 100 pairs of grey herons nest in the trees at Swell Wood.

    Little Egret

    Little egret

    Small numbers of little egrets have joined the grey herons in the treetop heronry.

    Marsh tit

    Marsh tit

    Listen out for their calls - 'pitchoo' - they sound like they are sneezing.

    Nuthatch

    Nuthatch

    Nuthatches are very charismatic residents of Swell Wood.

Nature spectacles

Swell Wood is home to the largest colony of breeding grey herons in South-West England with more than 100 pairs making their nests in the trees between March and June. Come and hear their croaking cacophony for yourself - maybe at one of our heron events.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

Watch out for nesting grey herons, while bluebells, primroses and orchids burst into life in the woodland. It's full of birdsong including chiffchaffs, blackcaps, marsh tits and song thrushes.

Little egrets raising their young are still visible among the oak trees. Birdsong subsides at this time, but still keep an eye out for spotted flycatchers, goldfinches and goldcrests. This is a lovely time to enjoy the extensive broadleaved woodland and great views of the hay meadows and waterways of the Somerset Levels from the viewing area.

See how many different types of fungi you can see in the woodland. Enjoy the autumnal colours and marvel at the spectacular views of the Somerset Levels and Moors.

You could see nuthatches and woodpeckers feeding at the car park bird feeders, while roving flocks of tits and other small birds pass through the woods.

About Swell Wood

Habitat

Swell Wood is a mix of Ancient Woodland and an abandoned oak plantation which is more than 100 years old. The old oak plantation is where the herons nest up in the tops of the tall spindly trees. Elsewhere the woodland has a fantastic ground flora with bluebells and dog mercury carpeting the woodland floor and plants such as yellow archangel and herb paris scattered amongst them in the spring. A shrub layer of hazel provides habitat for the nocturnal and elusive doormouse and the old trees provide homes in cracks and crevices for many species of bat.

Conservation

Management of the woodland is focused on providing habitat for the dormouse. This involves coppicing the understorey of Hazel in parts of the woodland where we have found evidence that they are using it. Elsewhere we look to leave things largely as they are, so we don't remove dead standing and lying wood as this provides fantastic woodland habitat. We have recently renewed our heronry viewing hide using green building techniques to reduce the physical and visual impact on the woodland. We hope you like it, we do. 

Site information

The ancient oaks of Swell Wood are part of a continuous strip of woodland extending some 10 miles (15 km) along the ridge from Langport to the Blackdown Hills. 

Between March and June nesting herons and little egrets provide our largest wildlife spectacle and in the autumn with the right conditions see a fantastic fungi display. While throughout the year woodland birds such as nuthatches, woodpeckers and treecreepers can be seen feeding on the car park bird feeders.

Activities and events

Events

  • May
  • July
Sunday 26 May
Forest Bathing at Swell Wood
Somerset
Saturday 27 July
Forest Bathing at Swell Wood
Somerset
More events

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