A Small Section of Ancient Woodland

Chillwood is a great place to visit. Drs John & Barbara Naish generously donated the land to the Parish in 1979.  Later it became a ‘Designated Ancient Woodland’  consisting mainly of native English oak trees.

‘Designated Woodlands’ describes areas of woodland that are protected by law. This helps to ensure that the trees & the other vegetation is preserved for everyone to enjoy in the future. These woodlands provide a wonderful habitat for small animals.

Access

There are a number of  ‘permissive paths’ through the woodlands. A ‘permissive path’ allows people to walk along the route with the landowners permission. However these paths are not the same as a public footpath.

It’s important that anyone walking through the woodland understands this. Walkers can access the woods via Frampton End Road to join a number of permissive paths through the trees.

To protect the delicate ecosystems it’s important that visitors keep to the designated walkways. Bluebells can be seen carpeting the woodland floor & certain times of the year. There are a number of native trees providing a shady canopy for anyone walking through the area.

Maintenance & Protection

The Parish Council is responsible for protecting & maintaining the woodland. A Woodland Management Plan has been made & is used by experienced arborists to guide any work that occurs. Timely maintenance ensures the survival of many native species enabling them to flourish over the years to come.

Despite regular pollarding or coppicing occasionally trees must be felled completely. Replanting of saplings helps ensure a robust stock of healthy trees.

Access the Chillwood Management Plan (pdf) to find out how the trees will be managed in the future

Chill Wood Management Plan 2021

Find out more about the work being carried out in Chilwood using the following links

https://www.ironacton-pc.gov.uk/working-in-the-woods/

Use the link to find out more about Ancient Woodlands in the UK

https://naturalengland-defra.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/a14064ca50e242c4a92d020764a6d9df/explore