Josias Byles Sanctuary

Trail Information

Running north and back again in a big loop, the 0.9-mile Yellow Trail takes the visitor through the woods, along Byles Brook, to a viewpoint over the beaver impoundments and back again. There is a 0.4-mile blue-blazed shortcut for those out for a shorter walk, which also loops back to the parking area. The Orange trail, a very short side-trail off the Yellow Loop, takes the visitor uphill to an overlook above a five acre meadow kept in early succession habitat for the benefit of wildlife. An unblazed trail leads through the meadow to the neighboring condominium complex.
 

Trail Map:  Click here for the trail map. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view or print our trail maps. 

Directions:  The entrance to the Byles Sanctuary is a 50-foot wide strip on the north side of Route 44 just a half-mile east of the intersection of Routes 44 and 89. A small off-road parking area will accommodate about four cars. Please be careful not to block the driveway which shares the entrance off Route 44. 

About the Property

Sixty-nine acres of what may have been one of Ashford’s original homesteads, the Josias Byles Sanctuary was given to Joshua’s Trust in 1988. It was part of the original 200 acre Byles farm bought by Josias Byles in 1718. His son Ebenezer’s house still stands near the southeast corner of the Sanctuary. The house is now the Henrietta House B&B and the owner is continuing to homestead the land surrounding the house as well as establishing pollinator gardens which are on the Ashford pollinator pathway. 

In 1988, Filmac Associates transferred the property to Joshua’s Trust, after the Birch Hills Condominiums were developed just to the east.

The property provides a sizeable and key open space between the June Norcross Webster Boy Scout Reservation to the north, and the Mount Hope River to the west. Byles Brook runs east to west through the property, and joins the the Mount Hope River near the northwest corner.

Location: Ashford, Connecticut
Donors: Filmac Associates of Farmington, Connecticut
Acreage: 69
Preserved in:  1988
Stewards: Nord Yakovleff, Peggy Rux, Marian Matthews, Terry Wollen

*Please Be Advised: The adjacent property has free-range livestock including chickens and goats. All dogs entering the trail should be kept on a leash.