Why is the woodland at Ashridge so special?
The Ashridge Estate includes the largest area of broadleaved woodland cared for in-hand, anywhere in the National Trust. Across 2,000 acres of woodland there are over 1,000 individually recorded ancient and veteran trees as well as ancient woodland, coniferous and broadleaved plantations, five registered commons, remnant wood pasture and large areas of secondary birch woodland.
Most of our woodland is designated as a Special Area of Conservation for lowland beech woodland and as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Estate includes Grade 2* registered Parkland, and the Ashridge woodlands also support a community of insects living in ancient and decaying trees that are rare and internationally significant.
About the plan
We manage our woodland primarily for nature conservation and access. Timber production is purely a by-product of our conservation work.
We’ve worked with independent consultants, Lockhart Garratt, to produce the 20 year Woodland Management Plan. This plan conforms with the requirements set out by the Forestry Commission and now that it's approved, gives us felling licences for the next 10 years' work and will enable us to apply for grant funding for works identified within the plan.
