Welcombe Hills and Clopton Park

The Welcombe Hills and Clopton Park combined create a 60 hectare Local Nature Reserve within walking distance north of Stratford-upon-Avon town centre. Visitors can enjoy a peaceful, grassland or woodland walk and have a picnic. Woolly thistle, quaking-grass and the diminutive adder's-tongue grow in the grasslands where ant hills created by yellow meadow ants are a distinctive feature. The woodland contains oak, horse-chestnut and beech with English elm. Birds are plentiful, with great spotted woodpecker, sparrowhawk, little owl, treecreeper and finches enjoying the woodland where ravens breed in spring. Brimstone butterflies are numerous in the spring sunshine.

The reserve may have got its name from a historic well found here, with its inscription 'SJC 1686'. Margaret, daughter of William Clopton (who died in 1592) supposedly drowned here. It was around this time that Shakespeare was writing Hamlet, and it is believed that this tragic event provided the inspiration for the character of Ophelia and her lonely death.

Other features include:

• Victorian obelisk
• audio walking trail
• car park entrance to Clopton Park (access via Clopton Road)

More information, including a map of the site, can be found on the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust website.

Contact

Telephone: 01789 260616

E-mail: streetscene@stratford-dc.gov.uk