Garden Links

England's Largest New Native Forest Begins to Take Root.

7th October, 2008

Woodland Trust opens forest for the future
 
New gates allow public access onto Trust's new forest site
 
Plans to create England's largest new native forest took a major step forward last Thursday when the Woodland Trust took possession of the land on which 600,000 trees will be planted.

It immediately marked its ownership by opening six new, British-made, larch kissing gates into the site. Now, members of the public can walk miles of permissive footpaths through formerly private farmland containing pockets of ancient woodland, hosting the UK’s richest wildlife habitat, near St Albans in Hertfordshire.

The Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, announced its £8.5 million scheme to buy the 850 acres of land to the north of St Albans in Hertfordshire on 28 July and immediately launched a vigorous campaign to raise money to complete the purchase.

Thanks to donations from local people, the public and businesses, plus a campaign in the Sunday Times, the Woodland Trust has raised more than £4 million towards its £8.5 million target in just two months – enough to give it confidence to go ahead with its planned purchase.

Funds raised could result in a collective total exceeding the original target, as grants from charitable trusts and national bodies sometimes come as ‘matched funding’. So the more money raised by the Trust, the more money could be triggered in the form of match-funded grants, explained Woodland Trust chief executive Sue Holden.

“There is still a long way to go to raise all the funds required to plant 600,000 trees, so we are still urgently appealing for funds," she said.

“The campaign to realise our ambition of creating the largest new native forest in England continues and we’re still seeking support from individuals, trusts, companies and grants to meet this challenging target as soon as possible.”

The Trust aims to create the country's largest new continuous broadleaf woodland on an area which is twice the size of Regent's Park and almost rivalling Sherwood Forest.

Toby Bancroft, manager of the project at the Woodland Trust, said: "It's hugely exciting - this is the biggest site of its kind in England and taking possession is a major step forward."

“The first trees could be planted before the spring, but planting will get under way in earnest next autumn once environmental and archaeological assessments of the area are complete. It is hoped each of the 600,000 native trees will be planted by volunteers, including local children, over the next five years.”

Ancient woodland sites are scattered through the agricultural land, now officially belonging to the Woodland Trust, which surrounds the village of Sandridge just to the north of St Albans. Some of the land is sub-let for farming and currently not open to the public, but 170 acres of the 850 acre site are now publicly accessible, and each year more land will be brought out of agricultural use for tree planting.

Toby Bancroft said: “This forest will provide health, education and leisure benefits for more than two million people living within a 20 mile radius, and lies within 20 miles of the centre of London as the crow flies.”

The new forest will be bigger than London’s 770-acre post-2012 Olympic ‘Urban Park’ and will be the single largest native woodland site owned in England by the Trust.

“Woodland establishes very quickly,” said Sue Holden. “Within two years a tree will be twice the size of the child that planted it, and within 12 years we will see a wonderful young forest taking shape.”

England has lost half its ancient woodland since the 1930’s, either to development, agriculture or planting with non-native conifers, leaving just five per cent of native woodland cover. This sad statistic makes England one of the least wooded countries in Europe.

The plan to create a new native broadleaved forest has drawn support from local councils, the public and celebrities.

The Woodland Trust’s campaign continues, and everyone is encouraged to do their bit to support the Woodland Trust by contributing to the appeal to create stunning new woodland for the future.

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