It can be whatever the residents of the town want it to be, which is why we want to hear from you. That's not to say that we have a completely blank canvas. We can’t ignore the demands of the Forestry Commission who will provide much of the funding for the project. Neither can we disregard the requirements of Blenheim Estates who have kindly donated the land. So basically, a Community Woodland is a public resource with public access, available for leisure, education, and the supply of timber as a renewable resource for crafts and energy generation. It can be a haven for wildlife and flowers and an area of tranquillity for everyone.

We have a site donated by Blenheim Estates. It is the long strip of land on the left hand side as you leave the town heading north just beyond Hill Rise in Old Woodstock. The land lies between the park wall and the main road and extends as far as a point opposite Field Barn Farm.

We are fortunate to have the encouragement and expert advice of the Oxfordshire Woodland Project based in the Museum and the forestry department of Blenheim Estates. These professionals have given us some early ideas which are being used as the basis for securing grants from the Forestry Commission and others. They envisage something like 2000 trees being planted on the site, mostly small "whips" which are less prone to early years loss and damage. Some will be coppice trees, hazel, ash and the like, suitable for harvesting on a cyclic basis for crafts such as hedge-laying, hurdles or woven garden panels or for renewable traditional firewood. Some will be what is called "high forest". These will be the majestic trees of tomorrow, towering towards the sky over an understory of bluebells. Woodstock’s younger generation will watch them grow to maturity. This is a long term project. And some will be a mixture of coppice with discrete standing trees like wild cherry, damson, or the Blenheim apple, rising above the low level coppice.

We need volunteers. There will be much planting, ground preparation, and early years tree care. 

We need money. Grants will cover much of our costs but not all. We will need to develop pathways through the wood, provide some benches, make a gated entry and improve one or two boundaries. We would like to provide a panel explaining some of the species and perhaps wildlife in the area. So we are looking for sponsors. Although we cannot accept individual "tree sponsorship" we hope to have a permanent list appropriately displayed of those who make a contribution to project.

But most of all, we want your views. Please write to Colin Carritt or Len Wise at Woodstock Community Woodland, c/o The Town Hall, Woodstock, OX20 1SL.

Click here to see the current state of the Woodland Planting Programme

ABINGDON AND WITNEY COLLEGE WYCHWOOD V GROUP