Wath Wood & Boyd Royd Wood
Wath Wood and Boyd Royd Wood are situated just over 6 kilometres north of the
centre of Rotherham. They lie to the south of Wath and to the west of Swinton, and form two
parts of a single woodland area.
The site has features of archaeological value, including a well-preserved section of the
'Roman Ridge', built between 450 and 600 AD in order to defend the Celtic kingdom of
Elmet from the advancing Anglo-Saxons (possibly). There are other theories about this
embankment and ditch but here it forms part of the parish boundary between Swinton and
Wath.
Wath Wood was grazed as woodland pasture and was part of Wath Common. Boyd Royd Wood is an ancient coppice wood surrounded by a substantial boundary bank and external ditch. There would once have been a stone wall as well, the purpose of which was to keep out grazing animals during the early years of coppice growth.
Parts of Wath Wood have bare ground caused by both the acid soils and shading from the thick tree canopy. The woodland, which was probably once managed as a coppice with standards, is now largely dominated by mature oak and beech. The southern part of Wath Wood, which was clear-felled in the 1970's, is now dominated by dense young birch and oak. Boyd Royd Wood is a mixed woodland of oak, beech, sycamore and ash.
There are many paths crossing the woods, some of which give you a very good look at Wath Wood Hospital. The old rhubarb and custard joke is popularly supposed to have originated here.