Woodcroft, Gloucestershire
Encyclopedia
Woodcroft is a small village
in the Forest of Dean
district of Gloucestershire
, England
. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye
, opposite Piercefield House
, two miles north of the Welsh
town of Chepstow
. The village is immediately north of Tutshill
, within the parish
of Tidenham
.
Nature Reserve. Within the SSSI Nature Reserve is a cliff face called Wintour's Leap
, enjoyed by walkers, naturalists and rock climbers. Access to cliffs is by permission of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust managed in conjunction with the British Mountaineering Council
for rock climbing
The reserve provides important nesting habitat for Peregrine Falcons
that enjoy commanding views over the Wye Valley
. The village straddles the boundary of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
, and the Offa's Dyke Path
passes through it.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean (district)
Forest of Dean is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England, named after the Forest of Dean. Its council is based in Coleford. Other towns in the district include Cinderford, Newent and Tidenham....
district of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
, opposite Piercefield House
Piercefield House
Piercefield House is a largely ruined neo-classical country house designed by Sir John Soane, located near Chepstow in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. Its extensive surrounding park overlooking the Wye Valley includes Chepstow Racecourse...
, two miles north of the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
town of Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
. The village is immediately north of Tutshill
Tutshill
Tutshill is a small village within the parish of Tidenham in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye, which forms the boundary with Wales at this point and which separates the village from the town of Chepstow...
, within the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Tidenham
Tidenham
Tidenham is a village and civil parish in the Forest of Dean of west Gloucestershire, England, adjoining the Welsh border.The parish includes the villages of Tidenham, Beachley, Boughspring, Sedbury, Tutshill and Woodcroft, and according to the United Kingdom Census 2001 had a population of 5,316...
.
History
Woodcroft was largely developed as a suburban area during the 19th and 20th centuries, with mostly large detached houses in their own grounds.Features
One of the main attractions in the area is Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust's LancautLancaut
Lancaut is a deserted village in Gloucestershire, England, located alongside the River Wye, around two miles north of Chepstow. It occupies a narrow-necked promontory formed by a curve of the river, which acts as the border between England and Wales. Little remains of the village today, except...
Nature Reserve. Within the SSSI Nature Reserve is a cliff face called Wintour's Leap
Wintour's Leap
Wintour's Leap is a noted rock climbing location and viewpoint. It is located on the English side of the Wye Valley, north of Chepstow, near the village of Woodcroft in Gloucestershire.- History :...
, enjoyed by walkers, naturalists and rock climbers. Access to cliffs is by permission of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust managed in conjunction with the British Mountaineering Council
British Mountaineering Council
The British Mountaineering Council is the national representative body for England and Wales that exists to protect the freedoms and promote the interests of climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers, including ski-mountaineers...
for rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
The reserve provides important nesting habitat for Peregrine Falcons
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
that enjoy commanding views over the Wye Valley
Wye Valley
The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain....
. The village straddles the boundary of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
, and the Offa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path is a long distance footpath along the Welsh-English border. Opened in 1971, it is one of Britain's premier National Trails and draws walkers from throughout the world...
passes through it.