WIDNALL WOODS

Almost two acres of land on Follen Hill in Lexington have recently been given to the Town of Lexington for conservation. Long-time residents Bill and Sheila Widnall of Summit Road, and their daughter Ann Vawter of Oakland, California, have donated three parcels of land between Summit and Follen Roads, totaling 1.78 acres. The Widnalls also donated a trail easement across their house lot to enable the public to reach the land from Summit Road.

“This is a wonderful and incredibly generous gift to the Town,” said Conservation Commission chair Phil Hamilton. “It continues a tradition of gifts of land for conservation over the last 60 years that has immeasurably enriched Lexington’s quality of life. We are deeply indebted to the Widnall family for their gift.”

The land, which will be known as Widnall Woods, is primarily wooded, with mature oaks, pines, maples, and hickories. Red-tailed hawks and barred owls have been seen here. “Nature in suburban towns is not saved just by preserving large blocks of conservation land,” noted Karen Mullins, the Town’s Conservation Director. “Natural areas in Lexington of any size, even in our backyards, provide vital benefits: they cool our neighborhoods, sequester carbon, promote stormwater infiltration, improve water quality, purify our air, provide wildlife habitat and greenway corridors, and offer places for people to enjoy.”

The property has a rich history. It is bisected by an old road known as the Bridle Path, which visitors from Boston traveled in their carriages to reach the foot of Mt. Independence. Here they would dismount, climb steps to the top of the hill, and take in a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside from an observation tower that owner Eli Robbins constructed in the 1830’s.

“Our family is very pleased to make these gifts to the town of Lexington for conservation, which will assure that current and future generations can continue to enjoy the benefits of and will have access to this delightful historic wooded land,” noted donor Bill Widnall. “We bought this land in the early 1980’s to keep it from being developed. We always hoped that it could stay just as it is, and now it can.”

The property is not yet open to the public. Further planning is underway before trail construction can begin, which the Conservation Commission hopes to complete in 2026. The trail, which will run from Summit Road to Follen Road, will be part of the ACROSS Lexington trail system Loop “L”, and will allow walkers to bypass a long stretch of roadway on Summit and Follen Roads.