Wayland Wood is a biological

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

near to Watton in Norfolk. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2, and it is managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Habitat

The wood covers an area of 84 acres (34 hectares) and is located 1 km south of the town of Watton, Norfolk on the A1075 road to Thetford. It is a designated

and features oak, ash,

hazel The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...

and

bird cherry Bird cherry is a common name for the European plant '' Prunus padus''. Bird cherry may also refer to: * ''Prunus'' subg. ''Padus'', a group of species closely related to ''Prunus padus'' * ''Prunus avium'', the cultivated cherry, with the Latin e ...

trees, and is also the home to a golden pheasant population. The wood is also the only known location in Norfolk where the yellow star-of-Bethlehem grows.Watton through the Ages by George Jessop - The History of Watton, Norfolk
/ref>

Babes in the Wood

Wayland Wood is also the setting of the centuries-old tale of Babes in the Wood, a brother and sister who were abandoned to die in the woodland. The legend tells that these two children were left in the care of their uncle at Griston Hall on the edge of the woods, following the death of their parents. On reaching maturity they were to inherit their father's fortune, but should they pass before this time the wealth would go directly to the uncle. The uncle abandons the two children to stake his claim to the wealth. Their

ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

supposedly haunt the forest. In 1879, the tree that the babes had reputedly been left under was struck by lightning. The strength of the legend had grown to such an extent that people visited the area for souvenirs.

References

{{Norfolk Wildlife Trust Norfolk Wildlife Trust Forests and woodlands of Norfolk Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Norfolk Watton, Norfolk