Two new public woods to provide sustainable timber

The forests will be open to the public and tree species have been selected for their climate resilience

Forestry England has unveiled plans for two new woodlands in Devon and Somerset, adding more than 247 acres (100 hectares) of forest to the counties.

Okement Wood, covering 205 acres (83 hectares), will be located between Abbeyford Wood and Berrydown Plantation near Okehampton, on the northern edge of Dartmoor.

Blackwell Wood, spanning 52 acres (21 hectares), will be next to Druid's Combe Wood and Langridge Wood, north of Treborough in eastern Exmoor.

The woodlands will be open to the public and tree species have been selected for their climate resilience with the aim of eventually provide sustainable timber, said Forestry England.

They follow the creation of Dury Wood, Wagaford Wood, and Burriott Wood in north Devon, where more than 200,000 trees were planted during 2024 and 2025.

"Creating new forests from scratch is an exciting opportunity to apply the latest evidence-based forestry quite literally from the ground up, while ensuring that each woodland is designed sympathetically for its landscape," said Kevin Stannard, forest management director for the west of England.

Public consultation on the draft designs will begin in spring 2026. The project is supported by the government's Nature for Climate Fund.