Ledbury Focus February 2020 Ledbury Focus February 2020 v1 | Page 25

Queens Wood Country Park
article & photographs by Pamela Green
I
came across these beautiful
photos of the Queens Wood
that I took when my children were
small. It was a place we visited
often, somewhere they could run
wild and still be safe. I think my
favourite months to visit were
March and April, when there were
carpets of bluebells and wild
flowers everywhere, and the
blossom was budding on the trees.
Another time was autumn when
the trees changed colour and the
leaves began to fall, what a sight!
The Queens Wood is a fragment of
the vast ancient oak wood that once
stretched to the Welsh borders and
beyond, and was then called Kings
Wood. During World War I the woods
were virtually clear-felled to provide
timber for the war. The name was
changed to Queens Wood when
Queen Elizabeth II came to the
throne. In 1953 the arboretum was
planted, a 47-acre tree collection,
with over 1,200 rare and exotic
trees from around the world. It is
famous for the autumn colours and
also teems with wildlife. It has been
designated a Site of Special
Scientific Interest and Local Nature
Reserve. The site is managed by a
partnership between Herefordshire
Wildlife Trust and New Leaf; it is the
only designated country park in
the county of Herefordshire, and is
Ledbury Focus
quite a tourist attraction on the top
of Dinmore Hill. activity sessions during half-terms
and holidays.
It is so different now from when my
children were young. There are many
different walks ranging from 1 mile
to 2.5 miles and these include easy-
access paths for push-chairs and
wheelchairs, so if you want to explore
further, just pick up a map from the
visitor centre. The viewpoint was one
place I never missed, with panoramic
views to the Malvern Hills in the east,
across to the Black Mountains in the
west, it's definitely worth the walk. There are also barbeque areas and
picnic benches in the woodland glade
close to the playground, perfect for
al fresco dining. The woodland is
open from dawn to dusk, all year
round. The Visitor Centre, cafe and
Gift Shop are open from 10am to
3.30pm, Tuesday to Sunday, although
Pay & Display car parking charges
do apply. For more information go
to www.queenswoodcafe.com, and
enjoy a lovely family day out.
Start your visit at the Gift Shop &
Visitor Centre where volunteers
will introduce you to the site. The
shop stocks a wealth of gorgeous
gifts for all ages, designed and
made in Herefordshire by local
producers and artisans. Both the
Visitor Centre and the Café are
beautiful restored timber-framed
buildings.
Queens Wood is the perfect place
to spend a day with family and
friends. The Gruffalo Trail,
featuring five larger-than-life
Gruffalo characters, was launched
in 2016, and is perfect for ages 2
to 6 years old but great fun for
all the family. There is a woodland
playground, ideal for children
aged 2 to 10 years, and they run
children’s holiday clubs and
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