Restoring ancient woodland

Beech trees look great during the summer

Over the past 150 years many of the beech woodlands in the Cotswolds have been replanted with mixtures of trees including conifers, European larch and spruce.

This has had a negative effect on the traditional flora and fauna in our woodlands.

Protecting the woods

Ancient woodlands are woodlands that have been continuously wooded for at least the last 400 years. They are valuable habitats for many species of birds, insects, animals and plants.

We have ambitious plans to remove most of the conifers from the ancient woodland at Woodchester Park. Covering a massive 35 hectares, we'll be replacing them with native trees like beech, oak and alder.

We manage the woods to keep them healthy
We manage the woods to keep them healthy
We manage the woods to keep them healthy

The National Nature Reserve woodland on the Ebworth estate is also being rejuvenated. We're developing a natural woodland through a management approach that will create an uneven age structure whilst still providing quality timber.