Harwood Forest facts for kids
Harwood Forest is a huge forest in North Northumberland, England. It's like a giant tree farm, covering about 3,527 hectares (that's over 8,700 acres!). The Forestry Commission, a group that looks after forests in the UK, manages this amazing place.
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Where is Harwood Forest?
This big forest is located in a wild, open area called moorland. It's north of the road that goes from Morpeth to Elsdon. You can find it west of the B6342 road and it stretches north towards the Simonside Hills. The forest is about 11 kilometers (almost 7 miles) long from north to south. At its widest point, it measures about 7 kilometers (over 4 miles) from east to west.
How Harwood Forest Began
The Forestry Commission started creating Harwood Forest over many years in the 20th century. They slowly bought or leased land that was mostly used for farming. When the Commission first got involved, only a small part of the area, about 121 acres, was actually forest. The rest of the land was used for sheep and cattle to graze.
The First Big Piece of Land
The idea to create this forest really took off in 1929. A man named Sir Charles Trevelyan, 3rd Baronet offered to sell Harwood Farm to the Forestry Commission for less than it was worth. Sir Charles had just inherited a large estate called Wallington Hall. He really wanted to see more trees planted on his land. So, he decided to work with the Commission to help his plan happen faster. He transferred about 1,536 acres of land to them. This farm forms the southernmost part of the forest, shaped a bit like a trapezoid.
More Land Joins the Forest
The next big piece of land was added in 1950. The Cragside estate, owned by William John Montagu Watson-Armstrong, leased about 525 acres to the Commission. Then, in 1951, another 867 acres were added. These areas together formed the Simonside section of the forest. This part of the forest is surrounded by the Simonside Hills, which make it quite narrow in some places.
In that same year, 1951, the County Borough of Tyneside leased Chartners, a 1,755-acre farm, to the Commission. This farm was located south of the Simonside section and included the high ground around Fontburn Reservoir. Later on, more land was added, like Redpath farm. This addition helped connect the Harwood farm area (which was separate before) to the Chartners and Simonside sections, making the forest one big connected area.
