Penn Wood display board at Penn Street

Image: © David Hillas Taken: 1 Apr 2017

Located at the East end of Penn Wood near Penn Street Parish Church HP7 0PX, this display board has a map of Penn Wood and Common Wood with the following wording: Left hand side wording Ancient and irreplaceable Penn Wood is one of the largest ancient woods in the Chiltern Hills with many interesting features and a wide variety of plants and wildlife. Its extensive path network makes it easy to get around and you are welcome to explore the wood at your leisure. Oak, beech and birch - some over 200 years old - are the predominant broadleaf species, interspersed with areas of planted conifer and open grassland to form a mosaic of habitats. There are also several large ponds which date back to the time when Penn Wood was part of Wycombe Heath, and these provide a valuable habitat for amphibians and invertebrates. In spring, look out for drifts of bluebell in the broadleaf areas and listen for the call of the cuckoo which arrives from Africa in late April and early May. Red kites are also commonly seen flying overhead - a striking sight with their wing span of almost two metres. Picture at top left with the following wording: Old growth specimens such as this veteran oak, an ancient collapsed beech tree and a scattering of trees over 200 years old, are remnants of the days Penn Wood was wood pasture. Picture at top middle with the following wording: Red kites can often be seen soaring overhead, a remarkable sight not least because they were persecuted to extinction in the late 18th century. Thanks to a dedicated reintroduction programme, numbers are now increasing. Picture at top right with the following wording: The gradual removal of commercial conifer species is part of a programme to restore the ancient semi-natural woodland at Penn Wood. This process will continue, with some areas retained as habitat for already established coniferous woodland fauna. Right hand side wording For those interested in archaeology, there are a number of features to look for which point to Penn Wood's past. These include a large woodbank around most of the perimeter, old quarry pits which provided clay and flint, and sawpits used in the sectional cutting of timber. Once you've exhausted everything that Penn Wood has to offer, there's also Common Wood to the southwest which is open to the public. We hope you enjoy your visit today and come back again soon. Penn Wood was bought by The Woodland Trust in 1999 with substantial donations from local people following a successful campaign by the community to prevent the wood from becoming a golf course. Picture at lower left with the following wording: Penn Wood was once part of a large common called Wycombe Heath where people were allowed to graze animals and collect firewood. Under the stewardship of the Woodland Trust, traditional cattle grazing is again a familiar sight. Picture at lower right with the following wording: If you're lucky you might hear a tawny owl calling to its mate, a distinctive "too-wit" from the female and "too-woo" from the male. Look out for these owl boxes throughout the wood.

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