Captain Sir Tom Moore: Memorial woodland in honour of fundraiser

Captain Sir Tom Moore raised almost £33m in direct donations for charities supporting the NHS

A swathe of ancient woodland and open land is to be renamed and planted with thousands of new trees in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore.

The 17 acres of land at Holme House Wood, near his childhood home close to Keighley, will be renamed as Captain Tom's Memorial Wood.

His motto "tomorrow will be a good day" will be engraved on a seat overlooking the meadow, the Woodland Trust said.

His daughter said it was a fitting tribute to her nature-loving father.

The extension to the wood, on the banks of the North Beck river between the hamlets of Laycock and Goose Eye, includes the planting of more than 3,000 hedgerow trees and shrubs including hawthorn, hazel and field maple.

Planting at the site will be plastic-free, the Woodland Trust says

The planting, which also includes trees such as oak, rowan, alder, dog rose and crab apple, will begin in March 2022 and is expected to be finished by the autumn.

The site, which was acquired by the Woodland Trust in 1991, is home to bluebell displays in spring and wildlife including sparrowhawks and great spotted woodpeckers.

Sir Tom's family selected two environmental charities to grow the "legacy forest" on their behalf - the Woodland Trust in the UK, and TreeSisters internationally.

Daughter Lucy Teixeira said: "Captain Tom's Memorial Woodland will be for everyone in the community and for anyone who wants to come and remember a loved one."

Capt Sir Tom's daughters Lucy Teixeira (left) and Hannah Ingram-Moore (right) said their father loved nature

Site manager Alistair Nash, from the Woodland Trust, said it was an honour to rename the site "in tribute to a great Yorkshireman".

"Sir Tom was concerned about what the future holds for his grandchildren and the negative impact we are having on our planet," he added.

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Second World War veteran Sir Tom captured the hearts of the nation with his fundraising efforts during the first coronavirus lockdown, when he walked 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before his 100th birthday.

He raised £38.9m for the NHS, including Gift Aid, with the money given to NHS Charities Together.

He died at Bedford Hospital in February after testing positive for Covid-19.

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