St Mary's Vale at the foot of the Sugar Loaf

St Mary's Vale at the foot of the Sugar Loaf near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire

Please note the road leading up to the Sugar Loaf is currently closed. You will need to park at the public car park area at Fairfield in Abergavenny town centre and walk from there.

Family walking in the woodland at Box Hill, Surrey

Which places are open and what you need to know before you visit 

We’ve opened more than 135 gardens and parks in England, Wales and Northern Ireland through advanced booking. Tickets are released on Friday for the following week. More than 200 coast and countryside car parks are open across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Read this article to find out what's open and what to expect from your visit.

Seeing the woods for the trees

These wonderful woodlands provide a canopy from the rest of the world. In spring the vivid green of so many trees forms nature’s own majestic cathedral, with the sunlight streaming through creating dappled shade and bouncing off the water of the Iago as it makes its way down into the town of Abergavenny.
 
Dead leaves form a natural carpet, and in autumn the rich greens slowly turn into burnished reds, oranges and yellows.
 
Large areas of these woodlands are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Areas of Conservation and the vale holds a large population of the rare red wood ant.