Crich Chase Wood: Campaigners hope to buy ancient woodland

The campaigners hope to maintain public access to the woods

Campaigners are trying to raise £720,000 to buy an area of ancient woodland.

Crich Chase Wood, near Ambergate in Derbyshire, is more than 180 acres and is a haven for wildlife and enjoyed by walkers.

The community hopes to continue the public access by buying the woods.

Campaigner Jane Corton said: "The woods will hopefully be managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust for it to be open access."

The wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest which, campaigners said, gives it some protection.

The campaigners are hoping to set up a charity to help them raise the funds needed.

Campaigners say people can currently access the woodland

Ms Corton, from Friends of Crich Chase, said: "It is a lot of money and will take us a little while."

"We are hoping that, with support from other agencies, we will be able to get there and save this amazing piece of land for our community.

"It can't be built on, so it's not going to be turned into a housing estate or anything like that but, at the moment, local people are able to walk around in the woodland."

Fellow campaigner Frank Smith said: "We don't want this being broken up into smaller packets and sold off.

"We want it to stay as one and we want it to be kept as much as possible like this, open for the public as somewhere you can relax and enjoy it.

"You can hardly hear any traffic noise in here. It's wonderful, it's great."

Ben Carter, from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: "Crich Chase Woodland is a wonderful place, a forest of ancient trees thriving with wildlife from buzzards to bumblebees.

"The local community treasure their woodlands and are pulling together to raise the funds to purchase the site.

"We will be honoured to include it in our suite of reserves and be involved in its care for generations to come."