Dale Coppice cloaks the eastern valley slopes above Coalbrookdale and adjoins the open space of Rough Park in Madeley.
Dale Coppice has had woodland cover since at least the 13th Century when it was part of the estates of Wenlock Priory. Dale Coppice also became noted for its early public walks, the Sabbath Walks, laid out by the Quaker ironmaster and philanthropist Richard Reynolds in the 1780s. The Trust reinstated many of the paths in 2003, working with local groups to add wooden seats at convenient resting points.
In 2011, three interpretation panels were placed where Richard Reynolds built a cottage and established a garden for his daughter Hannah, and a temple as a shelter for walkers of the time.
Dale Coppice is ancient semi-natural woodland, where today oak and beech dominate. The wood is also home to many different species of bird and mammal, including sparrowhawks, woodpeckers, tawny owl and the noctule bat, one of the UK’s largest bats.
Dale Coppice can be explored along a network of paths, many of them corresponding to Reynolds’ Sabbath Walks, which are described in detail in the Trust’s publication: Coalbrookdale: Three Historic Woodland Walks . Also have a look at the new Sabbath Walk Trail Leaflet.
For more information you can view the management plan.