Forest UK

A website detailing the history and geography and wildlife of some of the most famous and important forests of Britain (England, Wales , Scotland and Nothern Ireland) and the Republic of Ireland

Forests are places of legend, history, wildflife, myths and commercial activity. In British history they have been important as places of outlaws, myths, the last bastiges of animals species, and now in the modern era a centre for commercial activity and tourism. Each portion on each forest discusses the geography, location, history and myths of each forest.

The Forestry Commission still looks after the largest amount of forestry in Great Britain. These forests are our forests because they belong to the government. But there are many other forests owned by private estates, farmers, charities like the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and The Woodland Trust, and big companies.

Most new planting of forests today is done in Scotland and by private owners, helped by money from the Forestry Commission, government agriculture departments and the National Lottery. The Forestry Commission also makes sure that these forests are designed and planned properly and gives help and advice to private foresters to help them do this.

The New Forest : Southern England

An area of southern England including the largest remaining tract of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and old forest in the populated south east of England. The contiguous New Forest habitat covers south west Hampshire and some of south Wiltshire and east Dorset. A National Park the New Forest is mainly in Hampshire, but also covering some of Wiltshire.

Like much of England, the New Forest was originally forested, but parts were cleared for cultivation from the Stone Age and into the Bronze Age, poor quality of the soil in the new forest meant cleared areas turned to heathland.

The New Forest was created as a royal forest in 1079 by William the Conqueror for the hunting of deer. It was first recorded as "Nova Foresta" in the Domesday Book in 1086. The inhabitants of thirty six parishes were evicted. William's successor.

The New Forest SSSI covers 300 square km and is the largest contiguous area of unsown vegetation in lowland Britain. It includes roughly:

146 km² of broadleaf forest, 118 km² of heathland and grassland, 33 km² of wet heathland, 84 km² of tree plantations established since the 18th century (including 80 km² planted by the Forestry Commission since the 1920s).
It is drained by two rivers, the Lymington and Beaulieu. As well as providing a visually remarkable and historic landscape, the ecological value of the New Forest is particularly great because of the relatively large areas of lowland habitats, lost elsewhere, which have survived. The area contains several kinds of important lowland habitat including valley bogs, wet heaths and deciduous woodland. The area contains other rare wildlife, including the New Forest cicada, the only cicada native to Great Britain. Wet heaths are important for rare plants, such as marsh gentian Gentiana pneumonanthe and marsh clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata. Several species of sundew may be found in the Forest, and the area is also the habitat of many unusual insect species, including the Southern damselfly.

Three species of snake inhabit the Forest. The adder is the most common being found on open heath and grassland. The grass snake prefers the damper environment of the valley mires. The rare smooth snake can be found on sandy hillsides with heather and gorse.

Numerous deer live in the Forest but are usually rather shy and tend to stay out of sight when people are around. Fallow deer are the most common followed by red deer. There are also smaller populations of sika deer and Muntjac.

Myths and stories

The Cadnam Oak:

William I was shot by an arrow which bounced off a nearby Oak Tree.

Charles II is said to have constructed a paling around the tree.

The Rufus Stone

King William II was out hunting one day when an arrow struck the old oak tree, bounced and hit King William and killed him. King William was known as Rufus because of his shock of red hair. Sir Walter Tyrrel was accused of killing the King but whether his actions were deliberate or the result of a freak accident nobody knows. In the 18th Century the old Oak finally passed away Walter Delaware erected in its place a monument called `The Rufus Stone`.

Delamere Forest or Delamere Forest Park is a shady oasis in midst of the agricultural landscape of the Cheshire Plain. A forest in the Vale Royal district of Cheshire, England, managed by the Forestry Commission. It includes over 9.5 square kilometres of mixed deciduous and evergreen forest making it the largest area of woodland in Cheshire. Delamere Forest Park is also a haven for wildlife including the beautiful Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, White Faced Darter dragonfly, Green Woodpecker, Siskin and Southern Hawker Dragonfly.

Nearby places to the forest are Delamere, Cuddington, Norley, Frodsham and Helsby. The forest is served by Delamere railway station and also has a visitors centre. Numerous footpaths meander through the forest, including parts of the Sandstone Trail and Delamere Way long-distance footpaths. The B5152 bisects the forest into two parts.

Many Cycle routes go through the forest and there is a large area of dirt cycle jumps for extreme sports enthusiasts.

Go Ape! is a high wire forest adventure course of ropes bridges, Tarzan swings and zip slides up to almost 35 feet above the forest floor (60 feet at Grizedale!). Ideal for friends, families and corporate groups, Go Ape! provides approximately 3 hours of fun, laughter and adventure, as well as an exciting way to explore and enjoy the forest.

Kielder Forest is a large forestry plantation in Northumberland, England. It is the largest forest in the UK, and is planted mainly (80 per cent) with Sitka Spruce, with smaller plantings of Lodgepole Pine, Norway Spruce, Scots Pine, Douglas-fir and other trees. There is a large reservoir, Kielder Water at the heart of the forest. Tucked away at the top of Northumberland, close to the Scottish Border and Hadrian's Wall, beautiful Kielder Water is the largest man made lake in Europe. Kielder Forest, one of Britain's biggest nature resorts, is home to red squirrels, deer and rare birds.

The lake fringes and forest glades can best be explored by walking, cycling or on horseback, and there are many self-guided trails. Activities for all the family, a variety of accommodation, easy accessibility and closeness to villages and Northumberland National Park are among the many attractions, making Kielder ideal for holidays or leisure pursuits, including fishing, boating, riding and watersports. For the business visitor, Kielder Water provides the ideal setting for unrivalled conference and training facilities.

The forest is owned and managed by the Forestry Commission.

Drum Manor Forest Park is a forest in Northern Ireland, south of Sperrin Mountains and west of Lough Neagh. It was bought from a private owner in 1964 and opened in 1970.

Clocaenog Forest is in West Denbighshire/Conwy, Wales.

It is 40 square miles (100 km²), mostly coniferous softwoods under control of the Forestry Commission. It was planted in 1905 on what was mostly moorland and many hill farms. It is a highland region, mostly above 350 m. It experienced a severe winter in 46/47 with over 150cm of lying snow on flat ground recorded at Clawddnewydd, and there was another hard winter in 62/63. It is also the last mainland stronghold of red squirrels in Wales.

The forest is great for walking, with lots of clear paths. There are high points which rise above the tree level, affording views of Snowdonia and Arenig Fawr to the west, the Berwyn Range to the south, the Clwydian Range to the east, and the Denbigh moors to the north. The highest point in the forest, easily reached on foot with clear paths, is 'The Mast' at Craig Bron Bannog. Wildlife includes species of birds, including the crossbill which are adapted to conifers. There is also an enclosed area where wild horses (Przewalski's Horses) can be viewed.

Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in southern -eastern England, straddling the border between northern eastern Greater London and Essex. Formed approximately 8000 BC after the last ice age, it covers nearly 24 square km and contains areas of grassland, heath, rivers, bogs and ponds. Stretching from Forest Gate to the south and Epping to the north, Epping Forest is approximately 18 km long in the north-south direction, but no more than 4 km from east to west. Embankments of two Iron Age camps — Loughton Camp and Ambresbury Banks — can be found hidden in the woodland. It gives its name to the Epping Forest local government district.

The name "Epping Forest" was first recorded in the seventeenth century; prior to this it was known as Waltham Forest. The forest is thought to have been given legal status as a royal forest by Henry III in the 12th century. The status allowed commoners to use the forest to gather wood and foodstuffs, and graze livestock, but only the king was allowed to hunt.

In Tudor times Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I hunted on the forest.

There were disputes between landowners (who enclosed land) and commoners (who had grazing and cutting rights), including that led by Thomas Willingale (1799-1870) who on behalf of the villagers of Loughton continued to lop the trees after the Lord of the Manor (Maitland) had enclosed 1300 acres of forest in Loughton. This led to an injunction against further enclosures.

The Epping Forest Act was passed in 1878. The forest was saved by the Corporation of London from illegal enclosure, halting the shrinkage of the forest that this had caused. Epping Forest ceased to be a royal forest and the Crown's right to deer and venison was terminated.

The (Royal) Forest of Dean is a region in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is roughly triangular bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn (south), and the City of Gloucester to the east. It is characterised by over 110 km² of mixed forest, one of the most ancient surviving forests in England.

The main town and administrative centre for the forest is Coleford; whilst Cinderford is another busy centre.

The forest is steeped in history, and the area was settled by the Romans who used the natural resources of the area, including iron ore and charcoal. Later, the forest was used exclusively as Royal hunting grounds by the Tudor Kings , but its rich deposits of iron ore led to it becoming a major source of iron at this time. Timber from the forest was particularly fine and used to build Tudor ships, including the Mary Rose. Later still, the discovery of coal deposits led to a strong development of mining in the area, with commercial mining continuing into the 80s. There were, and are still, a number of small private mines in operation. With the decline of mines, the area declined.

Stories

The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire was home to one of the smaller coalfields in Great Britain. The collieries and small coal workings in the area some were home to close-knit communities, communities which developed remarkable series of local dialects - words in one town would have a meaning that would be lost on someone from a town just two miles down the road.

The story of the bears of Ruardean is one of Gloucestershire's most enduring folk tales. The story of the bears of Ruardean still arouses strong feelings among some locals, over a century after the events took place. The two Russian bears came to the Forest in 1889 with four Frenchmen. It is believed that they had been displayed in Cinderford, and that the animals and their keepers were en route to nearby Ruardean and angry mob gave chase. Popular myth at the time had it that foreign bear-keepers fed their animals on the flesh of children. Perhaps inspired by this, a rumour had spread the animals had killed a child and mauled a woman in the village. The residents launched an attack, slaughtering the innocent animals and brutally beating two of the Frenchmen. Individuals from Ruardean witnessed the violence, and came to rescue. They sheltered and nursed the injured itinerants. The assailants were later fined heavily for their parts in this unfounded attack, but during legal proceedings they were erroneously described as residents of Ruardean. The mocking refrain, "Who killed the bears?" taunts the people of the village to this day, and visitors are advised not to mention the sorry episode.

Sherwood Forest. Sherwood means shire wood and the forest sometimes used to be referred to as Nottingham Forest.

A country park surrounding the village of Edwinstowe in Nottinghamshire, England, the remnant of a much larger forest historically associated with the legend of Robin Hood. This much larger forest extended into several neighbouring counties.

Pollen records show that there has been an unbroken cover of woodland here since the end of the last Ice Age, some 10,000 years ago. Over 900 trees in Sherwood Forest are 600 years old or more. There are 1500 species of beetle and 200 types of spiders found in Sherwood Forest. The Major Oak may in fact be three or four trees which fused together centuries ago and not a single tree.

There is a particular oak tree in Sherwood Forest named the Major Oak which, according to local folklore, was Robin Hood's headquarters. The Major Oak is between 800 and 1000 years old, and since the Victorian era its massive limbs have been partially supported by an elaborate system of scaffolding. In February 1998 a local company took cuttings from the Major Oak and began cultivating clones of the famous tree with an intention of sending saplings to be planted in major cities around the world. The Major Oak was featured on the 2005 TV programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the Midlands

Myths and stories

Robin Hood is an English folk hero, in modern versions of the legend, is famous for his robbing the rich to feed the poor and fighting against injustice and tyranny. He operates with his "seven score" 140 strong group of fellow outlawed yeomen – named the Merry Men, meaning "companion or follower of outlaw", who were based in hideouts in Sherwood Forest and Barnsdale Forest near the city of Nottingham. His famous group included Maid Marian & Friar Tuck.

Nottingham Forest FC are named after the forest.

The Forest of Ae is between Nithsdale and Annandale in Dumfries and Galloway in south-west Scotland.

The forest was first planted in the 1920, primaily with spruce. It has a designation of a 'Priority Forest' for Red Squirrel conservation. The forest is drained by Water of Ae, which has a thriving population of otters.

Scotland's ancient Caledonian pinewood forests once spread across the Highlands. They now remain at 84 sites and cover 180 km2 in the north and west. Juniper, birch, willow, rowan and aspen trees are all native pinewood forest species. The forests are ideal habitat for a vast number of plant and animal species, some of which are endemic to Scotland and rely upon the Caledonian forests for their survival.

The pines (P. sylvestris var. scotica) are a race apart from their continental cousins, and Caledonian Forest is listed as a priority habitat for conservation by European Union directive. Some of the largest surviving stands are controlled by a very few owners, reflecting Scotland’s antiquated feudal system of land tenure. In the past, this has made the Caledonian Forest vulnerable to damaging change across large areas, such as through underplanting with exotic species and overgrazing by Red Deer, whose numbers have been kept artificially high by landowners who profit from stag shooting.
The forests are now well protected as their conservation status was established at the Rio Biodiversity World Summit in 92. "The preservation project has run for 10 years and for most of the important Caledonian pinewood sites is ongoing without an end date,"

The Scottish crossbill is a member of the finch family, but looks like a parrot. One of its closest relatives is the Parrot crossbill. This stocky bird tends to change woods from year to year and it avoids young trees that have no pinecones, as it likes to feast on pine seeds all year long. In May the fledglings will be just as noisy as their parents, "Young Scottish crossbill families will be on the wing in May giving their characteristic "chittoo-chitoo" begging calls to their parents," explains David Jardine.

As the name suggests Scottish Native Woods (SNW) is a charity working to preserve and restore Scotland's native woods. SNW assists land-holders to manage their wodlands throughout the north of Scotland.

"Cairngorm is hoping to expand the distribution of aspen in the Cairngorms, and especially to fill gaps between stands,"

To help preserve the pinewoods, the Forestry Commission prefers to let nature take its course at some locations. One of the most difficult species to spot in the forest is the Scottish wildcat. It is confined to the Central and Northern Highlands and has been protected since 1981. It's still seen as a pest by many landowners, farmers and gamekeepers and is often slaughtered on sight even though it helps control rodent and rabbit populations. Wildcats prefer upland forest, moorland, scrub and hill ground with plenty of rocky cairns for lying low during the day and raising kittens during the summer months. They are most active at dawn and dusk. During the day they lie up to digest the morning's kill.

The Capercaillie is the largest and most endangered bird in the UK. Hunted to extinction in 1785 it was reintroduced to Scotland in the 1800's. This turkey sized grouse inhabits the forests of Abernethy, Glenmore, Glen Affric and Tay Forest. A decrease in available brood habitat together with an increase in predators such as foxes and crows and high deer fencing, which is hazardous for low flying birds like the Capercaillie, have all conspired against this extremely shy bird.

Capercaillie lek during April and May. Watchers visiting the RSPB site in Abernethy are taken to hide at 5:30 am to see the males display and fight in often fierce battles in a bid to impress the smaller females who observe from the trees above.

Glen Affric, a wood in Highland.
Glen Affric is a very special place. It contains one of the largest ancient Caledonian pinewoods in Scotland as well as lochs, moorland and mountains.


River Nant walk, a walk in Argyll and Bute
A short trail along the River Nant which is suitable for the less-able. Enjoy the wildwood and picnic close to the river at this atmospheric site.

Ant trail, a walk in Argyll and Bute
The ant trail is named after the Scottish wood ants that make Glen Nant their home. The trail winds through the ancient woodland, past several ant hills and the sites of several charcoal burning hearths. These are the remains of the sites where oak was converted to charcoal for the iron smelter at nearby Bonawe near Taynuilt, up until the early nineteenth century.

Faery Isles Cycle Trail, a cycle path in Argyll and Bute
This easy route takes you through mixed forest and then into the atlantic oakwoods of the Loch Sween Caledonian Forest Reserve where there are stunning views of Loch Sween. Stop for a picnic at the beautiful Starfish Bay in the heart of the reserve where, if you are lucky, you might see an otter fishing in the sheltered waters amongst the small islands.

Barnluasgan Trail, a walk in Argyll and Bute
The walk takes you through this beautiful Caledonian Forest Reserve which is noted for its particularly rich diversity of habitats and associated flora and fauna. The diversity has developed as a result of the unusual ridges (cnaps) and glens (dalls) that are aligned on a north west - south west axis. As the trail rises to the top of the hill there are magnificent views of the forest and the many lochs.

All Ability Wildlife Trail, a walk in Argyll and Bute
This great improved access all ability trail beside Loch Barnluasgan is ideal for wheelchair users and families with young children.

Dalavich Oakwood Trail, a walk in Argyll and Bute
The trail through this enchanting Caledonian Forest Reserve has its own dedicated leaflet recounting the fascinating history of the woodland and its current management. The small Barnaline Interpretation Centre in the heart of the Oakwood has exhibits and activities to interest all members of the family.

Tarbert to Skipness walk, a walk in Argyll and Bute
From the road at the top of the Corranbuie walk this long walk takes you up around 1000 feet into the hills above Tarbert and down to the village of Skipness. There are spectacular views all the way, north to Loch Gilp, East across Loch Fyne to Cowal and South to the hills of Arran. On the open heather moor look out for grouse and hen harriers. As the path reaches the forest road that takes you to the village of Skipness there is an outstanding view down the glen and across the Kilbrannan Sound to the hills of Arran.

Myths

Once upon a time when Scotland belonged to the Picts, a Norse king first set eyes on the great pine forests in the kingdom of Caledonia. When he saw their great girths (some 12 feet) and compared them with trees in his kingdom, he was jealous. Back in Norway, he brooded day and night; he could not eat or hunt or fight or sail for thinking of those fine trees in that far away land. At last he sought out the fiercest monster in all Scandinavia, said to have been his stepmother, his Muime, who lived in a dark ravine in a distant mountain. She had the head of a woman, the body of a whale and the wings of an eagle, and it took all the king’s courage to summon her forth. In a loud voice he commanded her to destroy the Caledonian forests.

Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. It takes its name from the ancient estate which was owned by the John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle.

Certainly as early as 1536, Leland wrote - "Gwydir lieth two bowshots above the River Conwy. It is a pretty place."
The forest broadly encircles a village of Betws-y-Coed, and much of its mid-section lies within the parish. It reaches northwards to Trefriw, and south to the village of Penmachno. It covers an area of over 72.5 square kilometres, including 49 square kms of productive woodland.

Following a Forestry Act of 1919, Gwydir Forest was established by the Forestry Commission in 21, after much of the land was acquired from Lord Ancaster, whose family had inherited the Wynn estate. The First World War highlighted a shortage in wood production, and left the area decimated of natural woodland. Many early planters and forestry workers had no experience of forestry, being formerly employed in the forest's mines, and many anecdotes from this era can be found in the book "Tales from the Gwydyr Woods". Millions of seedlings were grown in the Diosgydd nursery, and the first areas planted were those which previously had some coverage. Most original plantations have been felled and replanted as a forestry cycle.

The majority of the forest is conifer (Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, Japanese Larch, Norway Spruce and Scots Pine), relatively suited to the area's poor, shallow soils, but recent years have seen increased planting of native broadleaf species (oak, beech and ash). This has largely been done for aesthetic reasons, to produce variety and to reduce the hard lines produced by conifers. However, commercial reasons will always dictate a need for faster growing conifers. These have a plant harvest cycle of between 20 and 40 years (depending on type), where oak requires the best part of a century.

Abandoned Lead mines litter the Conwy Vallery area of the forest. These have become picturesque industrial ruins. Caves, waterfall such as Grey Falls, and lakes such as Llyn Crafnant can be found over the forest. Many use the lakes of the forest for recreation. Boats can use some of the lakes.

Panoramic views of Snowdonia and the Conwy River can be got from the forest.

Myths and stories

According to legend / myth a Dragon named the garog used to plague the area and was caught in the medieval era.

William Morgan (1545 - 1604) was the translator of the first version of the whole Bible into Welsh. The translation was done in area of the Gwydir forest.

The State Forest, Eire, a magnificent example of a mature oak woodland, lies in the heart of the old Glengarriff valley where the observant visitor can trace relics of older settlements. The forest is enhanced by complementary new planting which provides an interesting and attractive treescape for visitors to enjoy. There are many paths, with convenient picnic areas, and several viewpoints within easy reach. Perhaps most well-known is Lady Bantry's Lookout, giving a panoramic view across the Bay and up to the bulwarks of the Caha Mountains. The forest was once part of the Bantry Desmense but is now owned by the State.

There are public roads leading to the forest about a mile north of the village on the Kenmare road, and about half a mile west on the Castletownbere road - both are signposted. The forest is perfect for short excursions on foot or cycle, and there are a number of roads. The rivers provide a number of shallow bathing places.

Tollymore Forest Park was the first state forest in Northern Ireland when it was established on the June 2, 1955. It is located at Bryansford near the town of Newcastle.

Tollymore was previously owned by Robert Jocelyn, 8th Earl of Roden and purchased by the Department of Agriculture in 1930 and 41. Covering an area of 630 hectares at the foot of the Mourne Mountains, the forest park offers views of the surrounding mountains and the sea at nearby Newcastle. The forest has several walking trails sign posted by different coloured arrows. The longest being the "long haul trail" at 8 miles long. Tollymore was listed in the Sunday Times top 20 British picnic sites for 2000. The river Shimna flows through the park.

Monivea (Muine Mheá in Irish) is a village in County Galway, Ireland. Monivea is known for a sizeable forest and a structure called Monivea Castle. In fact, Monivea Castle is a tomb that was built by a local Protestant family named French.

Galloway Forest Park
Dumfries and Galloway
Scotland
Newton Stewart, New Galloway, Gatehouse of Fleet, Dalmellington, and Castle Douglas. are the nearest towns or villages.

Southwest Scotland, affectionately known as the highlands of the lowlands; The wild beauty of Britain's largest forest park at three hundred square miles is waiting to be explored. Forest, moorland and lochs rise to the rugged grandeur of mountains with names like The Merrick, Mullwharcher and the Rhinns of Kells. Experience Galloway Forest Park with its host of features, from seashore to mountain tops and its outstanding variety of plants and animals.
How to Get There:
From the South - M6 to Carlisle, A75 to Newton Stewart signposted to Stranraer. From Glasgow - A77 to Girvan, A714 to Newton Stewart A77 to Ayr, A713 to New Galloway. From Edinburgh - A702 to Abington services, A74 to Beattock. A701 to Dumfries. A75 to Newton Stewart.

As part of the millennium (year 2000) celebrations in Ireland, over 15,000 acres of native woodland were designated as "People's Millennium Forests". This native woodland (divided into 16 forests around the country) was dedicated to the Northern Irish people.

England's twelve community forests are afforestation based regeneration projects which were established in the early 1990s. Each of them is a partnership between the Forestry Commission and the Countryside Agency, which are agencies of the British government, and the relevant local councils.

Forest of Avon, Forest of Marston Vale, Forest of Mercia, Great North Forest, Great Western Community Forest, The Greenwood Community Forest, The Mersey Forest, Red Rose Forest, South Yorkshire Forest, The Tees Forest, Thames Chase, Watling Chase Community Forest.

Forest terms in the UK

Verderers were originally part of the ancient judicial and administrative hierarchy of the vast areas of English forests set aside by William the Conqueror for hunting. The title Verderer comes from the Norman word ‘vert’ meaning green and referring to woodland. These forests were divided into provinces each having a Chief Justice who travelled around on circuit dealing with the more serious offences. Verderers investigated and recorded minor offences and dealt with the day to day forest administration.

The Forestry Commission is a non ministerial Government Department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment.

Foreign terms for forest

Wald = German

Bosque = Spanish

Bos = Nederlands
Skog = Swedish

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