Sydlings Copse
Bayswater Rd, Oxford OX3 9SR
Rating: 4.7 ★ (34 ratings)
Details
Sydlings Copse is a remarkable nature reserve, beautifully situated just a few miles northeast of Oxford. This secluded haven offers a rich tapestry of diverse wildlife and a tranquil atmosphere, making it a standout natural escape. Despite its close proximity to the city, the copse provides a surprising sense of silence amidst varied landscapes that truly captivate visitors seeking a peaceful retreat.
Exploring the copse reveals a stunning array of habitats, including ancient broadleaved woodland, vibrant limestone grasslands, and rare Oxfordshire heathland, alongside reedbeds, fen, and a gentle stream. Over 400 plant species flourish here, with summer bringing a spectacular display of wildflowers such as knapweed, yellow rattle, and wild basil. Keep an eye out for red kites soaring above and numerous butterflies, including the colourful purple hairstreak, flitting amongst the foliage. Visitors can also discover a circular Wildlife Walk, approximately three-quarters of a mile long, marked with badger waymarkers, and may even spot grazing wild ponies or lizards basking on log piles.
This cherished reserve is best suited for keen wildlife enthusiasts and those desiring quiet nature walks. Being free to enter and always open, it provides a wonderful opportunity for individuals or small groups to immerse themselves in a biodiverse environment. While the undulating terrain, with its slopes and steps, means it is not ideal for pushchairs, its overall appeal lies in offering a genuine connection with nature and serene countryside views.
Location
Opening Hours
Monday: Open 24 hours | Tuesday: Open 24 hours | Wednesday: Open 24 hours | Thursday: Open 24 hours | Friday: Open 24 hours | Saturday: Open 24 hours | Sunday: Open 24 hours
Contact
+44 7831 581544 | https://www.bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/sydlings-copse
Comments
Firstly, to get to this Nature reserve visitors have to walk along an attractive countryside footpath. It runs alongside farmers’ fields and provides panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
The footpath is accessible from the Beckley section of the B4027 or, from the south, by following a footpath at the back of houses on Hubble Close, in Barton and then crossing the Bayswater Brook.
The distance from the Beckley end of the footpath to Sydlings Copse is about half a mile whereas the distance from the Barton end of the footpath to the Copse is about a mile and a half - virtually all of it uphill.
Visitors from either ends of the Barton-Beckley footpath have the opportunity of walking alongside cropland whilst seeing panoramic views of the surrounding countryside not only in Oxford but in Oxfordshire. The walk along this green footpath with panoramic views is a treat for visitors even before they get to the Copse.
The second treat is the Copse itself. It is very hilly. There is a particularly wide and deep valley which reminded me of Lye valley. There are hardly any places in the Copse where the land is flat.
Since I last visited, the site has become more of a ‘walk in the wild’ rather than an opportunity to explore the Copse’s wildness. Visitors are corralled along paths which are all well trodden and signposted. It would not be difficult to go off-piste but the path network is extensive enough to make this unnecessary.
The last time I was here there were horses grazing in a small field but thankfully this time I didn’t have to walk past them hoping they wouldn’t notice me.
The third treat is that Sydlings Copse is entirely surrounded by hilly pastureland, some cropland and plenty of trees. A lot of Nature reserves exist in urban areas but this one is entirely surrounded by countryside. It is one of the few Nature reserves where visitors have no need to fear having to avert their eyes in case they glimpse the urban world visually intruding into a Nature reserve. What visitors see when they glimpse what is beyond the Copse, is just more countryside.
It is not difficult to understand why this area, in the middle of the delightful Oxfordshire countryside, has been put aside as a Nature reserve. It is so steep and hilly that it cannot be used for grazing animals let alone growing crops.
The fourth treat was that when I visited the Copse, the Bluebells were blooming. A large area of the woodland was covered in a carpet of Bluebells. So many of them that the air was filled with their fragrance.
Sydlings Copse is a wonderful, medium-sized, Nature reserve. The carpet of bluebells is well worth seeing in its own right. It is a luxurious green island in the middle of the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside. Even getting there provides delightful panoramas of Oxford and other parts of Oxfordshire.
My one quibble is that this is another ecologically minded green organization intent on saving current species whilst preventing “succession to woodland” needed to combat global warming.