Ashfield District Council: Ancient Woodland Sites

Ancient Woodland Sites

tree Ancient woodland is land continuously wooded since AD1600 and has only been cleared for underwood or timber production.

These woodlands are important as many of them form surviving fragments of primeval forests, the climax vegetation of this country, and they have had a long time to acquire species and to form stable floral and fauna communities.

In the past 80 years, half of the UK's ancient woods have been cleared to make way for agriculture and conifer plantations. Now, sadly, all that remains takes up just two per cent of the area once covered by forests dating back to at least 1600.

Nottinghamshire as a whole has only half the ancient woodland that it had in 1920.

It is the duty of local planning departments, such as the one at Ashfield District Council, to map out areas of ancient woodland and to take them into consideration when new plans are being made. The Council is also actively involved in Local Agenda 21 initiatives to restore bio-diversity.

Below is a table of the sites of ancient woodland in the Ashfield district. Select the Grid reference for a map.
Name	Approx Location	Grid Ref.
Bulwell Wood	3 km SSW of Hucknall	SK 518 463
Morning Springs	4 km WNW of Hucknall	SK 493 497
Park Springs	4 km NW of Hucknall	SK 499 501
Millington Springs	1.5 km SE of Selston	SK 483 522
The Dumbles	2.5 km W of Kirkby in Ashfield	SK 475 567
Heald's Wood	2.5 km NNW of Sutton in Ashfield	SK 487 613
Dawgates Wood	3 km N of Sutton in Ashfield	SK 495 618
Dovedale Wood	5 km NW of Sutton in Ashfield	SK 466 631
Norwood	5km NNW of Sutton in Ashfield	SK 479 636

Useful External Links Other places on the Internet that you might find interesting:

The Greenwood Community Forest Web-site local project to create a multi-purpose forest with a rich mixture of woods, farmland, open spaces and settlements.

The Woodland Trust Web-site "the UK's leading conservation charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage." Quote from website

The Forestry Commission Web-site the government department responsible for advising forestry ministers on forestry policy and implementing it throughout Britain.

The Tree Council Web-site aims are "to improve the environment in town and country by promoting the planting and conservation of trees and woods throughout the United Kingdom." Quote from website

English Nature Web-site

Fallow deer