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Walk in nature
In Cassiobury Park you can explore nature including:
Whippendell Woods
About half of Cassiobury Park is wooded and Whippendell Woods is an ancient woodland that dates back to at least 1600.
The woods are carpeted in bluebells in spring and sunny paths attract rare butterflies like the purple emperor or white admiral. There is a boundary trail accessible to pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists and many criss-cross paths to explore on foot. There are two car parks, the main one off Grove Mill Lane and a smaller car park off Rousebarn Lane.
See the history of Whippendell woods on Wikipedia website
Ancient trees
Cassiobury Park has a large number of mature and veteran trees, including a Cedar of Lebanon, which is over 100 years old, and several veteran Oaks, one of which is home to a little owl who likes to sit and watch the world go by.
Wildflower meadows
Several areas of Cassiobury Park are left to grow as meadows during the summer. This encourages insects which intern encourages birds and mammals. The meadows have a glorious display of spring bulbs and in summer are increasing getting more wildflowers establishing. The meadows are cut for hay in the Autumn as this allows flowers to set seed and reduces the nutrient levels over time which supports more wildflowers that prefer a nutrient poor environment.
Local Nature Reserve
The River Gade, a globally rare chalk river runs through Cassiobury Park parallel with the Grand Union Canal. This area is designated a Local Nature Reserve and contains lots of wildlife from dragonflies and butterflies through to bats and muntjac deer. You can enjoy watching birds such as mandarin ducks, little egret and heron on and around the water and might be lucky enough to spot the blue flash of a kingfisher. We ask that dogs are kept on a lead in the nature reserve to protect the wildlife. Some of the paths can be wet and wellies are recommended if you want to explore away from the surfaced paths.
Wetlands
The council have been transforming some of the former watercress beds into a wetland wildlife sanctuary complete with reeds, ponds and scrapes. Once the wetlands have matured, the area will become the area will become an excellent space for birds, like snipe and green sandpiper and for insects and crustaceans, such as freshwater shrimp, and provide a large and relatively accessible site for observing and learning about nature.
Healthy wetlands store carbon and slow the flow of water, cleaning it naturally and reducing flood risk downstream. They are becoming increasing rare in Hertfordshire with pressures to build houses and drain the land. Wetlands support an abundance of plant life, which provides perfect shelter and breeding grounds for wildlife. Tree planting and a wildflower meadow will also complement the water reduction features and together create a range of habitats that boosts local biodiversity.
Watch out for wetland birds such as Little Egret, Kingfishers, Grey Wagtails, ducks and wading birds. Ponds provide a home, free from predation from fish, for the tadpoles of frogs, toads and newts.
