Mirehouse Wood

By the 1960s the drive had become so overgrown that the flowering shrubs met to form a roof, and the pines were hidden from sight.

Slowly some order was restored and space found for new plants. The thick undergrowth is a good habitat for birds and other wildlife. You may see endangered red squirrels, woodpeckers and buzzards, but the roe deer, foxes and badgers, who live here too, are rarely seen by day. This old woodland with the Skill Beck flowing through it is also a perfect natural playground for children. Four much-loved, age-related adventure playgrounds have been developed in recent years.