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Foxley Wood

2.1 miles (3.4 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap Visit the largest ancient woodland in Norfolk on this peaceful walk near Dereham.
There's 123 hectares (300 acres) to explore on a number of nice footpaths.
The site is also a designated nature reserve so there's a wide variety of flora and fauna to look out for on your walk. Bluebells are a big draw in spring but there's also early purple orchid, lily of the valley, dog's mercury, purple hairstreak, meadowsweet, water avens and fleabane to see.
The woods are great for wildlife too with white admiral butterflies, sparrowhawks, tawny owls, great spotted woodpeckers and European green woodpeckers.
You can start the walk at the car park off Themelthorpe Road on the western side of the woods. From here you can pick up the trails to create a circular walk around the site.
To extend your walking in the area you could head east and pick up the Marriot's Way long distance trail. The shared cycling and walking trail explores the lovely River Wensum Valley.

Postcode

NR20 4QR - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Foxley Wood OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Foxley Wood Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Just to the south is the award winning village of Swanton Morley where you'll find a noteworthy 14th century church and an early 17th century pub with strong connections to the ancestors of Abraham Lincoln. In the village you can also pick up the Walsingham Way and the Wensum Way long distance footpaths. The ancient Norman Chapel of North Elmham and the Sparham Pools Nature Reserve at Lyng are also located in this area.

Photos

Sign at the entrance to Foxley Wood - geograph.org.uk - 895705

Sign at the entrance to Foxley Wood

Natural arch - geograph.org.uk - 895814

Natural arch

Orchids and Wildflowers At Foxley Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1692035

Orchids and Wildflowers At Foxley Wood

View across fields - geograph.org.uk - 895754

View across fields at the edge of the woods

View northeast along Themelthorpe Road - geograph.org.uk - 895700

View northeast along Themelthorpe Road

A seat in the sunshine - geograph.org.uk - 895725

A seat in the sunshine

Bracken thicket - geograph.org.uk - 895730

Bracken thicket

Path in Foxley Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1692016

Sheltered path

GPS Files

GPX File

Foxley Wood.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Foxley Wood.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)