Bills Wood

Bills Wood is a Local Nature Reserve and Park located in Shirley, Solihull. It covers an area of approximately 6.6ha and consists of a square parcel of woodland surrounded by residential suburbs. To the east the wood is bounded by the school playing fields of Light Hall School. A wide range of plants and animals makes the wood an important urban space, and was therefore granted Local Nature Reserve status in 1991NatureThe woodland is a mixed broadleaved woodland, with predominately mature Oak trees dominating the main canopy, along with Sycamore and Ash. The woodland also has an understorey of Holly and Hawthorn, with some Ash, Rowan and Hazel. At ground level there is mainly Bramble and Ivy with some Bluebells and Bracken. There are occasional banks and ditches that divide the woodland in places, and signs of previous coppicing, in particular there is an old bank and ditch along the east side of the wood with some old oak coppice. The wood is included on the Ancient Woodland Inventory, as compiled by the Nature Conservancy Council.