Walker Fold Woods

Walker Fold Woods is a great little woodland trail with a good variety of trees including evergreen and native species. Somewhat rugged in places and recovering from the wind storms of recent years that felled many trees.

The Walker Fold Woods follow part of the Dean Brook up from Walker Fold Road to Burnt Edge, an area that was once known by the strange name ‘Roscow Caythers’, presumably with reference to Roscow’s Farm (now Roscoe’s on current maps). The woods host a variety of plants, animals and insects including wild deer, rabbits, squirrels and stoats; Together with numerous wild flower species.

The majority of the woods that follow the Dean Brook here are part of the Walker Fold Plantation that was created in the 1960s. A large section of formerly bare ground with a few areas of quarrying, sand and clay pits was scored with ridges and planted with conifers. The plantation is old now and many trees have fallen over the years so the conifer areas look quite natural, although in places the uniform ridges of the initial planting are apparent. There are small broadleaved areas around the brook and towards the road.

A couple of the wooded valleys heading north, Roscows Clough and Dingle have been identified as ancient and semi-natural woodland, as have the other woodland areas downstream, from the road to Barrow Bridge.