Ancient woodlands to be restored with new funding

Bluebells are a popular attraction at Astonbury Wood

Seven ancient woodlands are to be restored thanks to funding secured by a wildlife trust.

Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust said Astonbury Wood, near Stevenage, would be one of the sites to benefit from the scheme, backed by the National Lottery.

The Ancient Astonbury and Wilder Woodlands Project would also help local communities connect with the conservation of the woodlands.

Wilder Woodlands officer Iain Ward said the project would "encourage the involvement of volunteers in their restoration and conservation".

Gobions Wood near the Hertfordshire village of Brookmans Park is also involved in the project

The charity bought a 125-year lease for the 54-acre woodland from Hertfordshire County Council in 2020.

There has been a wood at Astonbury near Stevenage since the 17th Century. A woodland is classified as "ancient" if it has stood since 1600.

The Ancient Astonbury and Wilder Woodlands project is backed by funding from the National Lottery and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

A wood has stood at Astonbury since the 17th Century

Mr Ward added: "A big part of it is to connect the community to Astonbury Wood, along with our other key woodland sites."

He described it as "a real privilege to be a custodian of its history and to influence its future, planning to make it more resilient to climate change and helping to protect the wildlife that call it home".

The funding will also be used to restore and conserve six of the trust’s other woodland nature reserves.

They are Balls Wood near Hertford, Fir & Pond Woods near Potters Bar, Gobions Wood near Brookmans Park, Old Park Wood in Harefield, Long Deans in Hemel Hempstead - and Hawkins Wood, between Buntingford and Royston.