List of ancient woods in England facts for kids

Imagine walking through a forest that has been around for hundreds of years, even before your great-great-grandparents were born! These special places are called ancient woods. This list tells you about some of the biggest and oldest forests in England. To be on this list, a wood must be larger than 10 hectares (that's about 25 football fields!). They are listed by county, from A to Z.

Ancient Woods in England

Bedfordshire's Old Woods

About 6.2% of Bedfordshire is covered by woodlands. Most of this (about 4,990 hectares) is made up of broad-leaved trees like oak and ash. Experts believe there are about 1,468 hectares of ancient woodland in Bedfordshire, dating back to at least the year 1600.

This list focuses only on the woods larger than 10 hectares. All of these bigger woods are special places called Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means they are protected for their wildlife or geology. Together, these woods cover 628 hectares. Five of the eight woods listed here are found along a line of wooded sandstone that crosses the county.

Berkshire's Old Woods

Track through Windsor Forest

Berkshire has a lot of woodland, covering about 18,304 hectares, which is 14.5% of its total land. The ancient woods listed here are all 10 hectares or larger, adding up to about 2,403 hectares. A big part of this area is Windsor Great Park and Forest, located near the borders with Surrey and Buckinghamshire. This park has huge areas of heathland and open parkland too.

In the eastern part of Berkshire, you'll find woodlands on the southern side of the Chiltern Hills. Most of the woods on this list are in West Berkshire. They follow the line of the chalk hills across the county.

Bristol's Ancient Woodland

The city of Bristol has only one large area of ancient woodland. This is part of the Avon Gorge SSSI. Most of this woodland is actually in the neighbouring county of Somerset.

Buckinghamshire's Old Woods

Druids Oak, the oldest tree in Burnham Beeches

Entrance to Bernwood Forest

About 9.4% of Buckinghamshire is covered by woodland. Some of the notable ancient woods include:

• Bernwood Forest
• Burnham Beeches
• Hollington Wood
• Jones Hill Wood

Cambridgeshire's Old Woods

Entrance to Monks Wood, Cambridgeshire

The ancient woods listed here are all larger than 10 hectares. Almost all of them are also SSSIs, meaning they are protected for their special natural features. These woods are not spread evenly across the county. The fenland areas in the northeast have very few. However, there are many in the south, closer to Suffolk. More woods are found in the western half of the county, with three located near Peterborough.

Path through Buff Wood, Cambridgeshire

Cheshire's Old Woods

Only about 4% of Cheshire is covered by woodland, which is half the national average. Since 1994, the Mersey Community Forest has been working to plant new trees and manage existing woodlands better. Cheshire has fewer ancient woodlands, and they are often smaller than in other counties. Many of these old woods are found in steep valleys called cloughs. Most of Cheshire's ancient woodlands are smaller than 10 hectares. In fact, 65% of them are smaller than 5 hectares. The list below only includes ancient woodlands larger than 10 hectares.

City of London's Ancient Woodland

Sadly, there are no ancient woodlands left within the actual City of London. However, the City of London Corporation helps manage large areas of woodland in other places. These include Epping Forest in Essex, Highgate Wood in Greater London, and Burnham Beeches in Buckinghamshire.

Cornwall's Old Woods

Old oak wood near Goodern Manor Farm, Cornwall

About 7.5% of Cornwall is covered by woodland. Here are some of its ancient woods:

• Steeple Woods - 16.2 Hectares (40 acres)
• Devichoys Wood - 16 Hectares (40 acres)

Cumbria's Old Woods

Footpath in Whinfell Forest, Cumbria

About 9.5% of Cumbria's land is woodland. A well-known ancient wood here is:

• Whinfell Forest

Derbyshire's Old Woods

• Shining Cliff Wood53°04′01″N 1°30′16″W / 53.06691°N 1.50450°W / 53.06691; -1.50450

Devon's Old Woods

• Wistman's Wood

Dorset's Old Woods

• Duncliffe Wood
• Holt Heath
• Powerstock Common
• Thorncombe Wood

Durham's Old Woods

• Brignall Banks SSSI
• Castle Eden Dene SSSI and National Nature Reserve (NNR)
• Hawthorn Dene SSSI
• Hesleden Dene
• Deepdale Wood
• Pontburn Woods
• Derwent Gorge SSSI and National Nature Reserve (NNR)

East Riding of Yorkshire's Old Woods

• Burton Bushes in Beverley Westwood

East Sussex's Old Woods

About 16.7% of East Sussex is covered by woodland.

Essex's Old Woods

• Epping Forest
• Hadleigh Woods
• Hockley Woods SSSI
• Hatfield Forest SSSI
• Nevendon Bushes
• Norsey Wood

Gloucestershire's Old Woods

About 11.2% of Gloucestershire is covered by woodland.

• Forest of Dean
• Lower Woods

Greater London's Old Woods

• Bluebell Wood
• Cherry Tree Wood
• Coldfall Wood
• Highgate Wood
• Lesnes Abbey Woods
• Oxleas Wood SSSI
• Queen's Wood
• Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve (NNR)
• Great North Wood
• Scratchwood

Greater Manchester's Old Woods

• Borsdane Wood

Hampshire's Old Woods

About 17.7% of Hampshire is covered by woodland, making it a very green county.

• New Forest

Herefordshire's Old Woods

• Queenswood

Hertfordshire's Old Woods

About 9.5% of Hertfordshire's land is woodland.

• Ashridge Estate
• Benington High Wood
• Birchanger Wood, near Bishop's Stortford
• Broxbourne Woods National Nature Reserve (NNR), near Broxbourne
• Bush Wood
• Knebworth Woods
• Northaw Great Wood
• Sherrardspark Wood, near Welwyn Garden City
• Whippendell Wood, 160 acres, Watford

Isle of Wight's Old Woods

In 2014, a new list of all identified ancient woodland sites on the Isle of Wight was created.

• Brading Wood, part of the Brading Marshes RSPB reserve
• Parkhurst Forest

Kent's Old Woods

About 10.6% of Kent is wooded. This county actually has more ancient woodland than any other county in England!

• Barrows Wood, Trundle Wood and High Wood around Wormshill
• Chattenden Woods and Lodge Hill SSSI
• Cobham Woods
• Combwell Wood
• Darenth Wood SSSI
• East Blean Woods National Nature Reserve (NNR)
• Ham Street Woods National Nature Reserve (NNR)
• Parsonage Wood SSSI
• Robins Wood SSSI
• South Blean
• West Blean National Nature Reserve (NNR)
• Westerham Wood SSSI
• Yockletts Bank SSSI

Lancashire's Old Woods

• Boilton, Nab, Red Scar & Tun Brook woods, Preston

Leicestershire's Old Woods

Bluebells in the Outwoods, Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire

It's thought that about 2% of Leicestershire is ancient woodland. Half of this has been replanted with new trees in recent times. There are over 100 woods in Leicestershire believed to be ancient. The places listed below are all larger than 10 hectares, and almost all of them are SSSIs.

Besides a group of woods near Hinckley in the southwest, the other woods are found in three main areas. In East Leicestershire, close to Rutland, are the woods near Leighfield Forest. This was once a huge Royal Forest. Northwest of Leicester are the woods of Charnwood Forest. Further west, you'll find woods in the coal mining areas near the Derbyshire border.

Launde Big Wood, Leicestershire, with Launde Wood Farm in the foreground

Lincolnshire's Old Woods

• Bradley and Dixon Woods, Grimsby 53°32′N 0°08′W / 53.53°N 0.13°W / 53.53; -0.13
• Legbourne Wood, Legbourne, Louth 53°19′42″N 0°03′19″E / 53.32839966°N 0.05528353°E / 53.32839966; 0.05528353
• Stapleford Woods, Stapleford, North Kesteven53°05′57″N 0°42′54″W / 53.099217°N 0.714969°W / 53.099217; -0.714969
• Reddings Woods, Kirkby on Bain, Lincolnshire, East Lindsey 53°08′46″N 0°09′18″W / 53.146°N 0.155°W / 53.146; -0.155

Merseyside's Old Woods

• Dibbinsdale, Wirral Hundred, Merseyside

Norfolk's Old Woods

• Foxley Wood
• Wayland Wood

North Yorkshire's Old Woods

• Grass Wood, Wharfedale54°05′06″N 2°01′04″W / 54.0851°N 2.0177°W / 54.0851; -2.0177
• Nidd Gorge, Knaresborough54°00′50″N 1°29′13″W / 54.014°N 1.487°W / 54.014; -1.487

Northamptonshire's Old Woods

A Panoramic in the north-east of Bucknell Wood, part of Whittlewood Forest

The ancient woods in Northamptonshire are mostly found in the south and west of the county. This area borders Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Bedfordshire. Many of these woods are looked after by the Forestry Commission, while others are privately owned. They often grow on limestone soils in higher areas and have many different types of plants and animals.

• Hazleborough Wood, part of Whittlewood Forest
• Royal Forest of Rockingham
• Salcey Forest
• Whittlewood Forest
• Yardley Chase SSSI

Northumberland's Old Woods

• Allen Banks and Steward Gorge
• Whittle Dene

Nottinghamshire's Old Woods

• Sherwood Forest 53°12′16″N 1°04′22″W / 53.2045°N 1.0728°W / 53.2045; -1.0728

Oxfordshire's Old Woods

Young coppice at Out Wood, Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire's ancient woods are grouped in three main areas. In the south, you'll find woods in the Chiltern Hills. Another group is located east of Oxford. The Cotswolds woods, on the western side of the county, include those in the Royal Forest of Wychwood.

Oxfordshire has almost 18,000 hectares of woodland in total (6.9% of its area). Two-thirds of this is in woods larger than 10 hectares. About 1,839 hectares of woodland are covered by the 17 ancient woods listed below. Many smaller woods (under 10 hectares) also exist and might be ancient, but they are not included in this list. This list focuses on woods over 10 hectares that have SSSI status.

Wychwood Forest, Oxfordshire

Rutland's Old Woods

• Burley Wood
• Prior's Coppice

Shropshire's Old Woods

• Wyre Forest National Nature Reserve (NNR) (also found in Worcestershire)

Somerset's Old Woods

Somerset is a county with rolling hills like the Blackdown Hills, Mendip Hills, Quantock Hills, and Exmoor National Park. It also has large flat areas known as the Somerset Levels. Many of the woodlands here are protected as SSSIs, and some are managed by wildlife trusts. Woodlands cover about seven percent of the county's land.

South Yorkshire's Old Woods

• Bagger Wood53°31′08″N 1°32′35″W / 53.519°N 1.543°W / 53.519; -1.543
• Beeley Wood53°25′47″N 1°31′32″W / 53.42972°N 1.52556°W / 53.42972; -1.52556
• Watchley Crags53°33′32″N 1°16′37″W / 53.55886°N 1.27681°W / 53.55886; -1.27681

Staffordshire's Old Woods

• Cannock Chase SSSI

Suffolk's Old Woods

• Arger Fen and Spouses Grove
• Assington Thicks
• Bradfield Woods National Nature Reserve (NNR)
• Bull's Wood
• Calves Wood
• Foxburrow Wood (Suffolk)
• Palant's Grove
• Snakes Wood
• Staverton Park and the Thicks
• Wolves Wood

Surrey's Old Woods

About 22.4% of Surrey is covered by woodland. This makes it the most wooded county in England!

Tyne and Wear's Old Woods

• Thornley Wood SSSI
• Derwent Walk Country Park woods
• Stanley Burn Wood
• Snipes Dene Wood, part of Gibside SSSI
• Lands Wood, Winlaton Mill

Warwickshire's Old Woods

• Bush Wood
• Rough Hill Wood
• Ryton Wood SSSI

West Midlands' Old Woods

• Sutton Park SSSI
• Rough Wood

West Sussex's Old Woods

About 18.9% of West Sussex is woodland.

• Titnore Wood
• Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve (NNR)
• Worth Forest

West Yorkshire's Old Woods

• Batty's Wood53°49′12″N 1°33′37″W / 53.820061°N 1.560144°W / 53.820061; -1.560144

Wiltshire's Old Woods

• Savernake forest SSSI
• Vincients Wood

Worcestershire's Old Woods

• Grafton Wood
• Laight Rough
• Pepper Wood
• Shrawley Wood
• Wyre Forest (also found in Shropshire)

See also

• Ancient Woodland
• English land law
• Forest of Lyme