Nash Wood (long trail)

This interesting walk starts at the car park. Following the red markers climb steadily up through the woodland to the forest road. Along the way look out for signs of badgers, foxes, hares and other wildlife especially along the lower, sheltered slopes of the wood. Once on the forest road you will be able to take in the wonderful views back over to Presteigne and beyond to the hills of the Welsh Marches in the distance. Follow the road for a short distant and you will have the opportunity to take the shorter down hill route (blue arrows) back to the car park or carry on with the red trail which starts another steady climb up the high point of the wood. From here your view will be to the south overlooking the Radnor valley and in the distance Herefordshire. In front of you is Burfa bank an old Iron Age hill fort, one of many along this part of the English/Welsh border. Out to the south west you will see the Radnor forest in the distance with the distinctive shape of the Whimble hill and the town of New Radnor in the valley below. On this section of the walk you have every chance of seeing one of the numerous Roe deer that live within the wood. Nash wood is ideal woodland habitat to see Buzzards and Goshawks. From this high point it is down hill following the trail through several woodland types and habitats supporting various bird species such as Siskins and Crossbills who thrieve on the large cone bearing Noble and Douglas firs. Lower down the wood you will rejoin the forest road and on your left is Cold Harbour house, one of the old small holding which was once inhabited by local workers but has now been modernised. Nearing the end of the walk you come across a mixed area of woodland which has a large coppice of hazel, ideal habitat for the protected Dormouse. From here it is a short walk back to the car park.