Dancersend

Dancersend is a nature reserve of 81.3 hectares south of Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire. Part of the site is managed by the Forestry Commission and part by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. The trust’s 47-hectare section, called Dancersend with Pavis Woods, reaches into fields west of the main reserve. It lies within the Chilterns Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The land was once the Dancersend estate of the Rothschild family. The reserve contains woodland plantations, unimproved chalk grassland and scrub. Most mature trees were felled in the 1940s, yet a rich ground flora survives, including hairy brome and wood melick. The site is recognised for its butterflies and moths and supports a diverse breeding bird population. Access is available from Bottom Road in Spencersgreen and from St Leonards Road between Aston Clinton and Chivery. Visitors walk through mixed woodland and open chalk grassland. The ground flora changes with the seasons, offering displays of wildflowers. Butterflies and moths are common on calm days. Breeding birds nest in the scrub and woodland edges. The open fields provide wide views across the surrounding countryside.