Leigh's Wood in Aldridge It is a woodland of mainly birch and oak trees, and it is home to a wide variety of birds, plants and insects. It is also one of Walsall's bluebell woodlands (along with Merrions Wood and Cuckoos Nook), so it is a fantastic place to go to look for signs of spring.
Leigh’s Wood also has a pond where you’ll find even more wildlife, such as ducks and moorhens. The woodland is home to many species of birds like thrushes and woodpeckers, and mammals including hedgehogs, who must love snuffling around in the leaf litter looking for crunchy beetles to eat!
Local schools use the wood for environmental education and Forest School activities such as den building and wild art.
History
Leigh's Wood is believed to be an ancient woodland site, dating back to the 12th century. Then it would have formed the southern boundary of the Royal Hunting Forest of Cannock. Whilst woodland has been on this site for centuries, the majority of trees you'll find now are around 100 years old. The current tree species are probably very similar to those that have been here for centuries, in particular the birch and oak. Alder trees are now very few in number, but this hasn’t always been the case. The place name Aldridge is believed to mean Alder Village and be derived from Anglo-Saxon. Mentioned in the Domesday Book, this medieval settlement was once surrounded by great alder groves.
