Grafton Wood

[TedP]

I am intending to visit Grafton shortly particularly for Brown Hairstreak. Can anyone give me any advice re best areas to search, weather, time of day etc. Maybe some of the 'experts' are likely to visit during next week?
TedP

[neil friswell]

I visited this site for the first time yesterday. Saw at least 6 Brown Hairstreaks. Best area was the extreme south of the wood: on entering the wood from the Grafton Flyford car park, turn right immediately and follow the path round till you come to a wicker gate. Go through into a meadow and look along the south side of the wood. Also saw Brown Hairsteak in a hedgerow about 200 metres before entering the wood. Met other people there who confirmed that it is an excellent site for BH.

[Michaeljf]

I'm hoping to go to Grafton Wood tomorrow (mid-week break before the weather turns worse, and yes, I am crossing my fingers that the weather will be OK at least in the morning). I have been before before, but parked at the Flyford Arms pub and walked across a couple of fields to get to the Wood.

I'm guessing from Neil's post that there is another car-park nearer the wood ('Grafton Flyford Car Park' ), or at least in another spot approaching the wood from a different direction. I think the first year we went to the local church and couldn't find a path to the wood (apologies - my memory may be mixing up the spot with another site). Can anyone help with a road name and directions? Is the Car Park on the same grid reference as SO963557? Otherwise we will park in the pub's car park as usual and buy a drink there afterwards....

thanks

Michael

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi Michael,

I have relatives not far from Grafton and I visited for the first time in the spring.

I parked in the church car park at SO962556 then walked up past the church (with it on my right) and turned right into Church Farm. There is a footpath from here across some fields to the wood but it goes right through the farm yard! It put me off at first, but if you have the farm house on your right and the cattle shed on your left and the wood in the distance in front of you, you should be going right.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Lee

[Michaeljf]

Hi Lee,

That's great. I think when we've gone through the wood from the Flyford Arms side we have possibly ended up near the Church edge of the wood at the very end of our walk. I think some of the egg-counting goes on at that side later on in the month? Anyway, thanks as always, and if you can send some good weather first thing that would be even better!

Michael

[Lee Hurrell]

Good luck Michael!

Let us know how you get on. The forecast for the south east is sunny spells tomorrow I think, so I hope it is the same up there for you.

Cheers

Lee