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Wildlife
- Close
- - We protect wildlife in Britain and around the world by bringing our most threatened species back from the brink of extinction. We do this through ground-breaking research, practical conservation and education, all with the help of our supporters.
Wild places
- Close
- - Some habitats contain such a richness of life that we need to protect them at all odds. We are working to preserve ancient woodlands, orchards and wood pastures and parklands, as well as the countless species they support.
What we do
- Close
- - Everything we do is based on scientific evidence. We gather this through surveys, which you can take part in, and by awarding research grants to the most inspiring scientists worldwide. This evidence guides our conservation efforts and is shared through our events and publications.
Who we are
- Close
- - People’s Trust for Endangered Species was set up in 1977 to save our wildlife. We are governed by a board of volunteer trustees and our team of staff are passionate about protecting endangered species and places.
Success stories
- Close
- - We strive to bring our most threatened species in the UK and around the world back from the brink of extinction. Our successes come from ground-breaking research, practical conservation and education, all with the help of our supporters.
Get involved
- Close
- - There are so many ways you can help save endangered species. Fancy taking part in a survey, joining us on a wildlife event or becoming a regular supporter?
Shop
- Close
- - Support our work in our shop with a range of charity gifts, home-ware, cards and more. 100% of the profits go directly to help wildlife both in the UK an overseas.
Donate
- Close
- - There is nothing natural about the alarming rate at which we are losing animals and their homes. It is absolutely avoidable. We can stop the loss of our wildlife – but we need your support. You can act now by choosing to give to our cause. Thank you.

Home // Discover wildlife // Nature reserves // Briddlesford Woods

Briddlesford Woods

Red squirrel by Shutterstock.com/Giedriius

The magnificent Briddlesford Woods is the largest remaining ancient semi-natural woodland on the Isle of Wight with some very special residents.

For over 20 years we've been preserving and enhancing this wildlife haven thanks to donations from our supporters and a number of grants.

Briddlesford is one of the few places in the UK where endangered dormice and red squirrels can both be found. Two species of rare bat, barbastelles and Bechstein’s, also breed there. Consequently the woodlands have been designated as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area for Conservation. This gives it the highest legal protection. Torpid dormouse by Tony Wellbelove

The site is also of interest for its insect and plant life. One of the most important features of the woodland plant life is the abundance of narrow-leaved lungwort. This species is restricted in Britain to ancient woodlands on the shores and tributaries of the Solent.

The presence of these rare animals and plants in our woods is a combination that’s unique within the UK. It therefore needs constant care and protection. Can you support us to make this happen?

Latest news

Dragonfly monitoring

Thanks again to our local dragonfly expert Dave Dana who visited Briddlesford 14 ponds 6 times over this hot, dry summer.

“It was encouraging to see how well flooded most of the ponds were at the start of the season, needless to say it was a different story in the latter half of the summer”.

Each pond is different and has varying amounts of vegetation, different water levels and therefore attracts different species of dragonfly. A total of 13 species were spotted at Briddlesford this summer and one pond had an amazing 10 species. The photograph to the right is of a female black-talked skimmer. They like open water with bare patches on the shore. We plan to do a small amount of vegetation clearance at some of the ponds next year to make sure they are still suitable for a range of species with differing requirements.

Visit us

You can visit this special place year round. Briddlesford Parkland – 10 hectares of peaceful wood pasture, and Hurst Copse – five hectares of beautiful ancient woodland, near Wootton Bridge on the Isle of Wight are open for you to explore.

Please email laura.bower@ptes.org if you would like more details to help you plan and make the most of a visit.

Map of Briddlesford Woods for visitors

Events

There are occasionally opportunities to join one of our guided walks around Briddlesford or longer training courses. Details of all our public events can be found in our events section.

Why not combine a visit to Briddlesford Woods with a trip on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway? From the train you can see the surrounding beautiful countryside from a different angle. The railway line actually passes through Briddlesford Copse, which is also owned and looked after by us.

Help us

If you live locally or visit the Isle of Wight regularly and you would like to volunteer your time at our reserve please contact laura.bower@ptes.org. There are opportunities to take part in dormouse monitoring and practical management such as coppicing and tree planting.

Woodland management

Volunteers making an oak cage to protect young trees Over the last 20 years we’ve been working to improving the woodland for wildlife. This takes a lot of hard work and funds from our generous supporters and grant givers.

We’ve established long-rotation (15-20 years) hazel coppice to ensure a steady supply of hazelnuts for the red squirrels and dormice to eat. We also maintain a network of rides (essentially paths through the woodland) and glades to allow light to reach the woodland floor benefitting wild flowers, butterflies and other invertebrates.

Almost 15 years ago now we planted over 5,000 native trees grown from seed collected in Briddlesford and we’ve been actively encouraging natural regeneration of native trees in the surrounding copses into grassland areas.

There are areas of non-intervention within the woodland where we’ve allowed a high forest structure to develop. This habitat is of considerable conservation value and adds another dimension to this diverse woodland. We retain plenty of dead and decaying wood wherever possible to encourage insects and fungi.

Farmland management

Interspersed between the copses, we manage 30 hectares of wildflower rich grassland and we have reverted 6 hectares of arable back to grassland. These areas are grazed by a neighbouring farmer’s cattle. Within this grassland we have also sown just over a hectare of nectar rich plants, carefully selected to provide food for insects.

We have dug 14 ponds to add value to the grassland areas. These create areas for bats to feed, for dragonflies and amphibians to breed and for birds and mammals to drink or bathe. Cattle use the ponds to drink from and as they do so they ‘puddle’ the edges so that the pond retains water for longer.

Wildlife monitoring

Ourselves and a host of experts regularly monitor the array of special species that live in our woods. This helps us assess the impact of our land management and make further improvements. It also helps us to keep the land protected for years to come.