Biss Wood is a standalone site, separated from Green Lane Wood by a field which will eventually become Green Lane Wood nature park. Wiltshire Wildlife Trust refer to the two woods and the nature park as a single connected site, but I wanted to have a separate section for Biss Wood as it is quite different and special in its own right.
Parts of it are established woodland, which was replanted in the 1940s and 50s. But as you walk around you come across a good sized pond, grasslands and clearing and in the South West corner there is a section of Dogwood Trees and Field Maples which provide stunning colours in the Autumn months. The wide paths make access easy and it is a relatively quiet wood. Often you can walk here and not encounter another soul, and if you come at dusk you may encounter some of the roe deer as they come out to forage.
At 20 hectares it is not as large as its Green Lane neighbour wood, but a good walk around the main path is about a mile and it is the type of wood where you can stop and explore as you walk through to really appreciate it.
As this wood is a little further to walk to from the Paxcroft Mead housing estate, it seems to attract less footfall so it is actually a very peaceful place to wander. The variety of trees in here makes the changing seasons very dramatic. In spring you get colourful blossoms and bluebells and in Autumn, dramatic purples, yellows and reds which turn the heads of drivers making their way along the busy A350.
Some of these dramatic colours can be seen in the video clip to the right which was pulled together in Autumn 2016. It is a montage of Green Lane and Biss Wood but is it Biss Wood that shines out during Autumn and is well worth travelling from afar to see.
Access Information
The wood is accessible on foot from the Castle Mead housing area. Parking is available near the Co-Op on Huntingfield - postcode BA14 6GP. Access used to be possible from the A350 but this route appears to be closed off now.
More information and a reserve leaflet with a map of the site can be found here: Biss Wood
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