The National Forest is an environmental project in central

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

run by The National Forest Company. From the 1990s, of north

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire ...

, south

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

and southeast

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands C ...

have been planted in an attempt to blend ancient woodland with newly planted areas to create a new national forest. It stretches from the western outskirts of

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

in the east to

Burton upon Trent Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town in the borough of East Staffordshire in the county of Staffordshire, England, close to the border with Derbyshire. In 2011, it had a population of 72,299. The ...

in the west, and is planned to link the ancient forests of Needwood and Charnwood. In January 2018 the UK government unveiled plans to create a new English Northern Forest extending from Liverpool to Hull. It will shadow the path of the east-west

M62 motorway The M62 is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting Liverpool and Hull via Manchester, Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield; of the route is shared with the M60 orbital motorway around Manchester. The road is part of th ...

The National Forest Company

The National Forest Company is a not-for-profit organisation established in April 1995 as a

company limited by guarantee In British, Australian, Bermudian, Hong Kong and Irish company law (and previously New Zealand), a company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of corporation used primarily (but not exclusively) for non-profit organisations that require legal pe ...

. It is supported by the

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United K ...

(Defra), with the aim of converting one third of the land within the boundaries of the National Forest () to

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

, by encouraging landowners to alter their land use. It is described as "a

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

in the making" and it is hoped to increase

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

and

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

-related jobs in the area. Around 8.5 million trees have been planted, more than tripling the woodland cover from 6% to 20%.

Planting

Approximately 85% of the trees planted are native broadleaf species. Some of the most commonly planted species are:

English oak ''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus ...

ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

, poplar, Corsican pine and

Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...

. The transformation of the landscape is beginning to take effect as the first tiny

whips A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...

planted in the early 1990s are growing into substantial trees.

Attractions

At the centre of the National Forest is ''Conkers'', a visitor centre located just outside the village of Moira, Leicestershire. There is also a visitor centre with wildlife walks and playgrounds at

Rosliston Rosliston is a small village and civil parish in South Derbyshire, England close to the county boundaries of Leicestershire and Staffordshire.OS Explorer Map 245: The National Forest :(1:25 000) :

. Other attractions include: *

Ashby Canal The Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal is a long canal in England which connected the mining district around Moira, just outside the town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, with the Coventry Canal at Bedworth in Warwickshire. It was opened in 1804, ...

Ashby Castle Ashby de la Zouch Castle is a ruined fortification in the town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England. The castle was built by William, Lord Hastings, a favourite of Edward IV, after 1473, accompanied by the creation of a park. Const ...

Ashby-de-la-Zouch Ashby-de-la-Zouch, sometimes spelt Ashby de la Zouch () and shortened locally to Ashby, is a market town and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England. The town is near to the Derbyshire and Staffordshir ...

*Ashby de-la-Zouch museum, Ashby de-la-Zouch * Bardon Hill - highest point in the National Forest at above sea level *

Battlefield Line Railway The Battlefield Line Railway is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : It runs from Shackerstone (Grid ref ) to Shenton (), via Market Bosworth, a total of . Shenton is near Bo ...

* Beacon Hill, Leicestershire * Bradgate Park * Calke Abbey, Ticknall * Claymills Victorian Pumping Station * Croxall Lakes * Donington le Heath Manor House *

Flagship Diamond Wood The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood (initially known as the Flagship Diamond Wood) is a woodland in Leicestershire, UK created in 2012. Covering , it is the centrepiece of a wide-ranging Jubilee Project by the Woodland Trust to mark the 2 ...

Foremark Reservoir Foremark Reservoir ( OS grid reference ) is a reservoir in South Derbyshire owned by Severn Trent which is also a nature reserve open to the public for walking, fishing, bird watching and horse riding. Severn Trent are working together with the ...

Foremark Foremark is a hamlet and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. It contains Foremarke Hall, a medieval manor house which now houses Repton Preparatory School; and part of Foremark Reservoir. Foremark is near the ...

Fradley Junction Fradley Junction () is a canal junction between Fradley and Alrewas near Lichfield, Staffordshire, EnglandOS Explorer Map 245: The National Forest :(1:25 000) :

Grace Dieu Priory The Grace Dieu Priory was an independent Augustinian priory near Thringstone in Leicestershire, England. It was founded around 1235-1241 by Roesia de Verdun and dissolved in October 1538. It was dedicated to the Holy Trinity and St Mary. Today ...

* Kedleston Hall * Loughborough Outwoods *

Melbourne Hall Melbourne Hall is a Georgian style country house in Melbourne, Derbyshire, previously owned by William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, British Prime Minister from 1835 to 1841. The house is now the seat of Lord and Lady Ralph Kerr and is open to th ...

Moira Furnace Moira Furnace is a nineteenth-century iron-making blast furnace located in Moira, Leicestershire, on the banks of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal. Built by the Earl of Moira in 1804, the building has been preserved by North West Leicestershire Dis ...

* Mount St. Bernard Abbey * National Memorial Arboretum *

Rosliston Forestry Centre Rosliston is a small village and civil parish in South Derbyshire, England close to the county boundaries of Leicestershire and Staffordshire.OS Explorer Map 245: The National Forest :(1:25 000) :

Seale Wood Seale may refer to: *Seale, Alabama, an unincorporated community in the United States *Seale, Surrey, a village in England * Seale Hayne College, military hospital in Ivybridge, Devon, UK Seale is also a surname: * Seale Baronets (since 1838), no ...

* Sence Valley Forest Park * Sharpe's Pottery Museum * Staunton Harold Reservoir * Sudbury Hall * Swithland Wood * The National Forest Maze *T.G.Green Cornishware Archive Museum * Thornton Reservoir * Tropical Birdland, Leicestershire * Twycross Zoo The towns of

Ashby de la Zouch Ashby-de-la-Zouch, sometimes spelt Ashby de la Zouch () and shortened locally to Ashby, is a market town and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England. The town is near to the Derbyshire and Staffordshire ...

Swadlincote Swadlincote is a former mining town in the district of South Derbyshire, England, lying within The National Forest area. It borders the counties of Leicestershire and Staffordshire, south-east of Burton upon Trent and north-west of Ashby-d ...

and

Coalville Coalville is an industrial town in the district of North West Leicestershire, Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England, with a population at the 2011 census of 34,575. It lies on the A511 trunk road between Leicester and Burton upon Tr ...

are located within the forest area.

References

External links

Official site

Rosliston Forestry Centre

Conkers Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Forest Forests and woodlands of Derbyshire Forests and woodlands of Staffordshire

Reforestation North West Leicestershire District Borough of Charnwood South Derbyshire District Borough of East Staffordshire Lichfield District Hinckley and Bosworth Types of formally designated forests 1990 establishments in England Government agencies established in 1990 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Private companies limited by guarantee of the United Kingdom

The National Forest Company

Planting

Attractions

See also

References

External links