Wayland Wood

Wayland Wood stands on the edge of Watton in Norfolk, a 34-hectare woodland managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. It lies less than a kilometre south of the town along the A1075 road to Thetford. The site is recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and forms part of the Nature Conservation Review. Oak, ash, hazel and bird cherry grow here, while golden pheasants move through the undergrowth. The wood also holds the only known colony of yellow star-of-Bethlehem in the county. The wood is famous for the old story of Babes in the Wood, a brother and sister abandoned near Griston Hall on its edge. Their uncle hoped to gain their fortune by leaving them in the forest to die. The legend says their ghosts still wander the trees. In 1879 a lightning strike felled the tree where they were said to have been left, drawing crowds for souvenirs. Visitors follow paths through the mixed woodland, spotting golden pheasants and rare plants. The quiet glades and mature trees create a sheltered atmosphere. Interpretive signs explain the scientific and historical interest of the site. The wood remains a place where nature and folklore meet, with clearings where the children’s tale once unfolded.