Foxcote Reservoir, Bucks

What’s there? Plenty of water birds including great crested grebes, tufted ducks and the potential for visiting birds including goldeneye, goosander, teal, shoveler and occasionally pintail. 

Created in 1956 by damming a small tributary of the River Great Ouse, this site has become important for the numbers of wintering waterfowl, especially wigeon and coot.

Where is it? 2 miles north-east of Buckingham

What’s the access like? Gentle slope. Wheelchair access possible in dry weather.

Foxcote Reservoir

Foxholes, Oxon

What’s there? This ancient woodland is famed for spectacular autumn colours and fabulous fungi. Over 200 species have been recorded including boletes, russulas, milkcaps and false death cap. Look out for the bright red beechwood sickener poking out from the fallen beech leaves, the fly agaric – the classic red and white fairytale toadstool, and the blue-grey oyster mushroom, growing in tiers at the base of trees.

Explore the reserve and surrounding countryside with our circular 11km/7 mile Wild Walk.

Where is it? 4 miles north of Burford

What’s the access like? Tracks leading to the reserve can get extremely muddy when wet making access challenging. Gently sloping; mainly grassy, soft when wet, some roots, gaps (0.5m wide), kissing gate. Off-road pushchair recommended.

Foxholes

Hosehill Lake, Berks

What’s there? A lake surrounded by meadows, ponds and sheltered reedbeds with water birds including shoveler, wigeon and gadwall, and a short, circular Wildlife Walk.

Hosehill Lake is one of several lakes that form the Theale Gravel Pits Complex. These former extraction sites were flooded to form the lakes in the early 1980s and they are all interconnected.

Where is it? 1 mile south of Theale

What’s the access like? Mix of grass and surfaced paths, flat around northern part of lake, undulating to south. Narrow bridges. Lakeside paths muddy in winter. Bicycles and horse riding not permitted.

Hosehill Lake

Hog and Hollowhill Woods, Bucks

What’s there? Colours of autumn from the beech woodland mixed with other tree species, more than 150 species of fungi recorded, and a variety of woodland birds. 

These woods near Marlow lie within the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation and the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. They are also part of the Hollowhill and Pullingshill Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest. 

Where is it? near Marlow

What’s the access like? No easy access trails

Hog and Hollowhill Woods

Loddon Nature Reserve, Berks

What’s there? A large, flooded gravel pit with several islands that attract wintering birds such as gadwall, tufted duck, pochard, cormorant and snipe. It's also home to other water birds including grey heron, great crested grebe, moorhen and coot.

Where is it? Twyford

What’s the access like? Flat; partly flooded in winter with muddy, short slopes; gate, boardwalk

Loddon Nature Reserve

Warburg Nature Reserve, Oxon

What’s there? High up in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Warburg Nature Reserve is a remote and magnificent place, rich in exciting plants and animals all through the year. 

In autumn the beech woods give a wonderful display of colour and you can see some of the 900 recorded species of fungi.

Where is it? near Henley-on-Thames

What’s the access like? Variable, mostly steep paths and loose flint, flat grassy path; muddy in valley bottom after rain; benches.

A mobility Tramper vehicle is available to hire Tuesday-Thursday, subject to staff availability. Please email warburg@bbowt.org.uk or call 01491 642001 to book in advance.

Warburg Nature Reserve