Ten miles of woodland walks to open to public

Eliza and Alexander Newport from Bradford Estates

Ten miles of public walks and paths are being opened to the public.

Much of the woodland on the newly created Bradford Walk near Weston Park in Shropshire has been private for 1,000 years, stewards Bradford Estates said.

The project combines historic woodland, with195,000 newly planted UK grown trees and future plans for the trails include parking facilities, art installations and the possibility of a playground with the hope of events being held there.

"During Covid we were doing a lot of walks and we were all kind of sad a lot of the [woods] were private and wanted to open them up the public to enjoy," said Eliza Newport from Bradford Estates. The trails open on 24 September.

Eco-friendly tree guards made from cotton and pine resin have been used to plant the trees

The estates are located on the Shropshire and Staffordshire border and the project is in partnership with the England Woodland Creation Offer and the Forestry Commission.

A big focus has been on supporting natural wildlife and reducing CO2.

"As an organisation, we are also acutely aware of the Climate Emergency and believe this scheme will contribute towards the nation's net zero targets," Alexander Newport, managing director said.