Gobions Wood (c) Josh Kubale

Gobions Wood

A fantastic woodland for bluebells and wood anemones in the spring, and diverse fungi in the autumn.

Location

Off Mymms Drive, Brookmans Park.

Potters Bar

Hertfordshire

AL9 7AF

Know before you go

Size

36 hectares

Entry fee

Free

Parking information

No official parking. You can park on the residential road Mymms Drive (please be mindful of the residents).

Access

Fairly solid woodland paths and some boarded walkways.

Dogs

Under effective control

No dogs in enclosures. In other areas dogs are permitted on leads.

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

April to July, September to November

About the reserve

This rich reserve is primarily woodland but also includes grassland, hedges and ponds. Much of the woodland is ancient. It also contains remnants of a landscaped 18th century ‘pleasure gardens’. The woodland is renowned locally for its display of bluebells and is particularly good for fungi; 558 species have been found – with two of these being new records for the UK and over 100 of which are rare or scarce in Hertfordshire.

Seasonal Highlights
Spring: Bluebells, blackcap, chiffchaff, moshatel, wood anemone, wood sorrel.
Summer: Buzzard, great spotted woodpecker, longtailed tit, nuthatch.
Autumn: 558 recorded fungi including chicken of the woods.
Winter: Goldcrest, redwing, sparrowhawk.

Directions

Site entrance: various footpaths lead into the reserve from:
- Mymms Drive: entrance gate next to 18 Mymms Drive, AL9 7AF
- car park on Jonas Way, off Moffats Lane, Brookmans Park
- footpaths off Bluebridge Road and Bluebridge Avenue, Brookmans Park

Access by road: From Potters Bar head north on A1000 Great North Road for two miles. Turn left into Mymms Drive. The reserve entrance is 0.2 miles on the left.

Access by public transport
Bus: 200,201, 312, 610, 841, 841A) – Great North Way nr Mymms Drive (0.2 miles).
Rail: Brookmans Park (0.6 miles).

Habitat

What's happening at Gobions Wood?

Thanks to funding from Biffa Award, we have created two fantastic woodland glades that have completely revitalised this wonderful woodland. New sheep fencing was installed to enable us to graze the acid grassland meadows to increase biodiversity and secure the future of this beautiful habitat. Information boards will now inform visitors about the site's rich wildlife and history.