The Arboretum Trust, a registered charity, has a stunning collection of over 6,000 rare trees and shrubs collected as seed worldwide and nurtured as a bank for future regeneration. Although the landscape of the arboretum links back to John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor in the early 18th Century, the current design and planting owes most to Dr James Russell VMH who, from the 1960’s, established the broad vistas and enormously enhanced the tree collection. The arboretum strives to continually acquire and conserve new plant species and covers 150 acres of hills and valleys with shaded walks, lakes and ponds. It provides the freedom to roam and enjoy the huge variety of wild flowers and bird life.

Access to the arboretum is through the new Visitors and Education Centre where the Trust’s Education Officer is on hand to provide support for visiting school groups and can deliver a range of hands on activities within the arboretum.

For more information see the website at www.kewatch.co.uk or
e-mail education@ketwatch.co.uk.

A large area of commercially managed woodland, on a fairly level site. It has large compartments of Corsican and Scots Pine, several areas of new planting and areas that have regenerated naturally.

This site is best used through the facilities offered by Austerfield Field Centre, who have a range of activities developed for the wood.

This woodland is predominately broadleaf trees planted in the 1930’s as a shelterbelt around the reservoir. There is a mixture of broadleaf species with a shrub layer of rhododendron and holly.

This reservoir is popular with bird watching groups.

This reservoir is popular with bird watching groups,

The Forest of Leeds is a Leeds City Council initiative that is striving to enhance the woodlands, countryside and urban green spaces of Leeds.

This "Community Forest" initiative was launched in September 1993 as a five year "Implementation" project (click here for a summary of the first five years), funded jointly by Leeds City Council and the Countryside Agency (formerly the Countryside Commission), with grant aid from the Forestry Commission. Initially focusing upon four "Forest Zones" in south Leeds, the Forest is a partnership between the Local Authority, private landowners, environmental organisations and local people.

Clain Wood lies on the steep north facing scarp slope of the Cleveland Hills, south of the village of Swainby and overlooking Scugdale Beck. The scarp rises from around the 120m contour to a height around 310m in just over half a kilometre, steepening in the upper part above 250 metres, to form some low crags. Apart from the beck at the foot of the woods, there are no obvious water courses. The ground is very wet in places, and in the west of the wood, springs are marked on the map.

The rocks forming the scarp in this area are from the Middle Jurrassic, the Lower, Middle and Upper Estuarine series of sandstones. They have been worked extensively for coal, ironstone and jet, and remains of this industrial past are found throughout the woods.

Tree species are varied, there are ancient oaks marking the boundaries of fields that must have existed 300 yrs ago, stands of larch, grand fir, noble fir, mixed compartments of 35yr old oak and beech, areas that have naturally regenerated, and an area that had suffered the loss of around a thousand trees in a severe gale two years ago, that is now replanted with hardwoods such as oak and beech.

Access to the wood is relatively easy, a hard surfaced forest track leads from the Swainby – Osmotherley road , past a farm and up through the woods. The Cleveland Way runs through the wood and descends to cross the Scugdale Beck, and there are a number of broad forestry roads.

This woodland is planted on former pasture land adjacent to heather moors. The woodland is dominated by coniferous trees, planted during the 60’s and 70’s with some ancient boundary trees and broadleaf plantings. From the late 1990’s tree felling and re-planting has added structural diversity to the area and increased the species range. Main species are spruce, pine and larch with sycamore and native broadleaves.

This woodland surrounds the reservoir in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.

Some of the wooded area is steep but the level path gives easy access to the woodland, including wheelchair users.

The reservoir is used for sailing and fishing.

The area holds a population of roe deer and the ground flora in some locations is typical of ancient broadleaf woodlands for the area with blue bells in the spring.

This woodland is a quiet retreat from the nearby urban conurbations and commuter routes.

The 35 Heritage Woodlands in the Fuelling a Revolution programme are spread throughout the area of the South Yorkshire Forest. Four of the woodlands lie within Barnsley, ten within Rotherham, and the remaining 21 within Sheffield. All 35 of the woodlands are freely open to the public.

Planted in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s the species are mainly Spruce, Pine and Larch. However there are areas of much older trees - 1930’s and broadleaves which add character to this extensive upland woodland.

Planted around the reservoir the woodland area was declared open access by Yorkshire Water for foot access in Dec 2000. The nearby moor (not Yorkshire Water) is open to foot access under an access agreement.

Riverside farm lies on the north western edge of the picturesque village of Sinnington at a point where the River Seven leaves its steep sided valley to flow southward across the flat Vale of Pickering.

From the farm a track leads northwards up the western bank of the river.   There is an area of new planting and close to the bank a line of old oaks with Tree Preservation Orders on them, interspersed with lesser trees.     The track, marked on maps as The Stripe, follows the river west and climbs to the main group of trees that form Bishop Hagg Wood, to the right of this path the land drops very steeply to the river some 25m below.    The woods reach a height of 100m ASL some 60m above the farm and slope down to the east and south. 

Main species are oak and beech with larch present. The woodland ground flora is not species rich but blue bells show in spring.

This woodland surrounds the reservoir in a Pennine valley.

The woodland is dominated by coniferous trees with some ancient boundary trees and broadleaf plantings especially along water courses. During the early 2000’s new planting has taken place adding structural and species diversity to the area and linking the woodland blocks unifying the landscape.

Main species are pine and larch with sycamore and native broadleaves.

An interesting varied woodland, sloping gently westward to the flood plain of the River Derwent.    The wood is managed as an amenity rather than as commercial woodland and there are a number of good quality tracks and paths.   The owner is keen that the wood is used for recreational and educational purposes.

There is a good variety of trees, both coniferous and deciduous, creating a wide range of habitats, with new planting in the centre of the wood.

A most interesting man-made feature is the overgrown remains of a motte and bailey castle.

The wooded area has level paths which gives easy access to the woodland.

A number of management techniques are undertaken to create habitats like coppice, scrub, deadwood and pollarding. A variety of bird and bat boxes can be seen in the woods attracting owl and other hole nesting species.

The nature reserve has approximately 150 bird species visits with 60 species breeding.

Planted in the 60’s the species are mainly Spruce, Pine and Larch. However there are areas of much older broadleaf trees particularly along streams which add character to this woodland.

Planted adjacent to the reservoir the wood has foot access on permissive and definitive rights of way.

Following the river Washburn and its tributaries for 8.5km these woodlands are varied. Some areas are plantation dating from 1930’s to present day, others are natural ancient woods and others newly regeneration. The species match the woodland variety with a mix of conifers – spruce, pine, fir and larch and broadleaf –sycamore, sweet chestnut, ash, birch, oak, beech and other native species.

Within the woods are a variety of woodland habitats, wet, streamside, dry heath, ancient woodland, crag and glade. Woodland species of plant, insect and bird have found their niche and add to the variety of experiences.

Some of the wooded areas have level paths which gives easy access to the woodland other areas are more demanding.

The area is criss-crossed with permissive footpath as well as definitive routes for pedestrians, horse and cycle users.