About
Simon's Wood and Finchampstead Ridges are neighbouring pieces of heath and woodland beside the B3348 between Crowthorne and Finchampstead, among the National Trust's oldest acquisitions. The Ridges belonged to the Walter family, owners of The Times, until the estate was broken up in 1913, when local people raised the purchase money by subscription and gave the land to the Trust. Simon's Wood, once called the Heath Pool, was bought by the philanthropist Thomas Coghlan Horsfall and given by C G H Simon and R Brooks. The wood has an avenue of redwood sequoias and a heath pond; the Ridges are a spring-fed escarpment with ponds, wet woodland and views over Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey. Reviewers like the wide, flat paths, the autumn colour and the quiet weekdays, and note there are no toilets or cafe. One tip from visitors: it gets busy at weekends. Dogs are welcome under close control to protect wildlife. The 1.3-mile Simon's Wood trail and the waymarked Finchampstead Ridges ramble start from the car park.
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- Simon's Wood and Finchampstead RidgesOpen all day
Opening times may change at short notice.
Open all day, every day; the National Trust calendar shows no closed days to 31 December 2026.
No toilets or cafe. Paths are often sloped, uneven and of varying width, and can be muddy; boardwalks cross the permanently wet parts of Simon's Wood.
Dogs are welcome under close control to protect wildlife; please dispose of dog mess responsibly.
A PDF map of Simon's Wood and Finchampstead Ridges can be downloaded from the National Trust page.
Photo: The view on Finchampstead Ridges. Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_view_on_Finchampstead_Ridges_-_geograph.org.uk_-_7843878.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
Dogs at the location: Allowed. Dogs are welcome throughout the wood and the Ridges under close control to protect wildlife.
Dog walks in the grounds: Allowed. Both waymarked trails are dog friendly with dogs under close control; free access from the free car park, no ticket needed.
Leads: Under close control to protect wildlife; no lead requirement stated.
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Walking routes2 routes
Simon's Wood trail(opens the full route on the National Trust site)
WalkeasyDog friendly2.1 km
