Steventon Copse
📍 Steventon
🌿 Woods
💷 Free
⏰ 1 - 2 hours
👣 Gentle Stroll
☕ No Cafe or Toilets
May 2026 · Nature Adventures · Woods
A magical couple of hours watching beautiful demoiselles soar around us in these special woods.
We first went to Steventon Copse a few years ago, to see the fairy doors that volunteers had put up. Though the fairy doors are mostly gone now, it was a lovely place to spend an hour getting out the house, but still keeping cool in a heatwave.
We got the bus to Steventon, and strolled over the cobbles of 13th century causeway, enjoying both the shade and the abundance of starlings settling nearby. We didn't see any, but this part of town is a good spot to look for water voles in the waterways.
There are a few ways to cut through from the causeway to the woods. We went to the end, then turned left into mill street, so that we could enjoy the cooling effects of watching the water thunder down and under the bridge.
It turns out that we weren't the only ones, as Little Leopard excitedly pointed out a grey wagtail flying out from what could have been a nest on the left side of the waterfall, and then perching on a wall, bobbing up and down. It's the first time that we've seen this bird, it enjoys being next to fast flowing water, and bobs up and down in a really pleasing way.
It's a tiny stroll from there into the woods, and the first thing that hit us was the birdsong. It was loud and wonderful. We sat down on a circle of logs, trying to see them, but the canopy is so thick that it's difficult to spot any. Birds we identified on the merlin app included mistle thrush, Goldcrest, Song thrush and green finch.
A small patch of woods, it packs its punch in terms of wildlife that can be spotted. There are some main paths that are maintained, and smaller ones that are a little wilder. It was on these smaller ones that we spotted lots of Beautiful Demoiselles, a type of Damselfly dancing in the air, like real life fairies. (see Nature Notes below for more facts.)
We also saw plenty of butterflies including the small white, and squirrels scurrying around. Some earthworks that Little Leopard is sure is a Badger Sett.
We also saw some vivid red, yellow fungus growing on a tree. It's taken me a while to try and identify it (and I am ready to be corrected) but I think it's a Flame Shield Mushroom. Quite rare nationally, it grows on decaying wood.
After an hour in the woods we made our way back across the field to castle street, and then down the bridleway that runs next to the farm to reach the High Street. It was nice to spot wild rabbits running around, as well as to see pigs and a goat peeking their heads out.
A wonderful place to feel authentically wild, I imagine that you'd struggle with buggies, Little Leopard says :
"I like that they hadn't cut back any of the wildlife and left it wild so there were logs on the paths, bushes up to our knees and muddy paths and mushrooms."
A lovely place to spend an hour or 2, especially when the weather's hot. You can extend the adventure nearby with a visit to Radley Lakes, the Earth Trust, or Mobray Fields & Millenium Wood.
Nature Notes
Beautiful Demoiselle
The shimmering damselfly of rivers and streams
Beautiful demoiselles are large damselflies known for their slow fluttering flight and jewel-like wings
Males have dark iridescent wings with metallic blue-green bodies, while females have translucent bronze-tinted wings
They live near clean fast-flowing rivers and streams where their larvae develop underwater
Unlike dragonflies, damselflies fold their wings neatly along their bodies when resting
Beautiful demoiselles are skilled aerial hunters that catch tiny insects while flying.
Flame Shield Mushroom
The fiery woodland mushroom.
Flame shield fungus is a rare woodland mushroom known for its vivid orange-red cap and bright yellow stem
It usually grows on decaying wood in damp forests and helps break down dead trees into nutrients
As the mushroom ages, its colours often fade from fiery orange to softer golden tones
Like many fungi, most of the organism lives hidden underground as a network of thread-like mycelium
Grey Wagtail
The elegant river bird with the bobbing tail
Grey wagtails are slender birds with long tails that constantly wag up and down as they walk
They are usually found beside fast-flowing rivers, streams, and waterfalls where they hunt insects
Grey wagtails are agile fliers and can catch small insects in mid-air above the water
Their nests are often hidden in rocky crevices, bridges, or riverbanks close to running water
The presence of grey wagtails is often linked with clean healthy waterways rich in insect life
A magical, short walk through the shady woods watching flittering damselflies, accompanied by a choir of birds.
Address: Access via Mill Lane, Stocks Lane or across the field
Parking: None at the Copse. Park in the village hall, or somewhere else in the village.
Opening Hours: Always open
Entry Fee: Free
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