Thank you for helping to plant the second phase of Willey Wood Farm
Thank you to all of you that came along to plant trees at Willey Wood Farm recently.
Willey Wood Farm named as Platinum Jubilee Woodland
Willey Wood Farm joins Bestwood Country Park as one of two new woodlands to be awarded Platinum Woods status by The Woodland Trust, a leading delivery partner of The Queen's Green Canopy. This initiative is creating a legacy in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth, and the whole objective is to plant trees in communities across the United Kingdom to enhance our environment and leave a lasting legacy for our children and grandchildren.
Our planting plan
Nottinghamshire County Council, hosts of the Greenwood Community Forest recently purchased land at Willey Wood Farm, Newthorpe, as part of the Trees for Climate project to create a new climate-combatting woodland.
The site comprises 39ha of ex arable pasture in the borough of Broxtowe, Nottinghamshire, and is currently species-poor improved grassland, set within a landscape of woodlands and open space adjacent to the settlements of Brinsley, Eastwood, Underwood and Greasley to the northwest of Nottingham. Brinsley Headstocks LNR abuts the planting area to the southwest and a matrix of public and permissive rights of way bound the site on three sides.
Thank you to everyone who attended our drop-in session and gave your views. Following the consultation event, we produced a plan for planting this new native broadleaf woodland with public access from the surrounding areas. See below for some extra information about the planned planting area.
The scheme will consist of planted native broadleaved species and will also incorporate elements of natural regeneration, woody shrubs, parkland planting/wood pasture while retaining around 30% open space for the protection of existing habitats for grey partridge, skylark, linnet and other grassland birds and to retain open areas for hunting barn owls and kestrels. This will allow the development of a mosaic of open space, scrub and trees and benefit species such as invertebrates, birds, mammals and amphibians. Protecting the existing mature hedgerows and veteran trees is an important aspect of the design and planting zones have been designed to facilitate this.
Potential browsing damage from rabbits and deer will require some fencing for establishment and the presence of badgers in the vicinity will necessitate the installation of badger gates to allow continued access to potential foraging areas.
Open space will incorporate unsurfaced paths through the site to surrounding paths and bridleway links extending infrastructure for public access, and planting has been designed to retain key viewpoints both within and facing out form the site.
The archaeological history of the site will be protected by the design of planting blocks and through close management of the establishment operations.
The scheme will be largely delivered by a commercial planting contractor, to an approved specification, and community involvement in planting will be facilitated.
It is expected that the establishment of this extensive site will cover more than one planting season due to tree supply and to provide an influence on structural diversity.
