Wyre Forest facts for kids

Path through the forest immediately north of Bewdley

The beautiful moth Oecophora bractella

The Wyre Forest is a big, mostly natural forest and woodland. It covers about 26.34 square kilometers (that's about 10 square miles!). You can find it right on the edge of two counties in England: Worcestershire and Shropshire. People look after the forest, but they let it grow mostly on its own.

A Home for Wildlife

The Wyre Forest is full of amazing wildlife. Even though it used to be much bigger, it's still one of the largest and oldest woodlands left in Britain. About half of the forest you see today is cared for by the Forestry Commission.

A big part of the forest (about two-thirds of it) is a special area called a SSSI. This means it's a very important place for nature. Another part of the forest is a National Nature Reserve, which is also protected. A stream called Dowles Brook flows right through the middle of the forest, and a road, the A456, runs along its southern edge.

Animals and Plants of Wyre Forest

This forest is one of the biggest places in the UK where nature is allowed to thrive. Many different animals and plants live here. You might spot birds like the hawfinch, common crossbill, pied flycatcher, redstart, and long-eared owl. There are also fallow deer and dippers.

A small, colorful moth called Oecophora bractella also lives here. It's quite rare in England, and Wyre Forest is one of the few places you can find it.

The forest is also an important habitat for adders, which are a type of snake. Scientists have even studied the adders living in Wyre Forest to learn more about them.

Images for kids

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  Small pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene)

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  Oecophora bractella in Wyre Forest