Skipton Wood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Skipton Wood |
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| Map | |
 Location in North Yorkshire
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| Geography | |
| Location | North Yorkshire, England |
| OS grid | SD991525 |
| Coordinates | 53°58′08″N 2°00′54″W / 53.9688°N 2.015°W |
| Area | 36-acre (15 ha) |
| Administration | |
| Governing body | Woodland Trust |
Skipton Wood is a beautiful forest in North Yorkshire, England. It's also known as Skipton Castle Woods or Springs Wood. This amazing wood covers about 36-acre (15 ha) of land.
You can find it just north of Skipton, right behind the old Skipton Castle. A small river called Eller Beck flows through its valley. Even though Skipton Castle owns the wood, it's looked after by the Woodland Trust, a charity that protects forests.
The Story of Skipton Wood
For a long time, Skipton Wood was mainly used by the people living at Skipton Castle. They would go there for hunting and fishing. It was like their own private outdoor playground!
Later, in the 1700s and 1800s, the wood became useful for other things. People started using its timber (wood for building), stone, and water. The timber and stone were moved out using a small Canal called Springs Canal. This canal was a branch of the bigger Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
The water from Eller Beck was collected by building a dam to create a pond called Long Dam. This fed another small reservoir called Round Dam, also known as Mill Pond. This water was super important because it powered the old sawmill and corn mill near the castle.
People weren't allowed to visit the wood until 1971. That's when the castle owners first opened it up to the public. Now, everyone can enjoy its beauty!
Plants and Animals in Skipton Wood
Most of Skipton Wood is filled with native broadleaved trees. These are trees that lose their leaves in autumn, like oak and ash. The Woodland Trust calls this area "ancient semi-natural woodland" because it has been a wood for a very long time.
You'll also find some trees that were brought here by people, like beech and sycamore. There are also a few hornbeam and sweet chestnut trees.
In one part of the wood, about four hectares, new trees have been planted. These include oak, Scots pine, larch, and Norway spruce. This area is known as "replanted ancient woodland."
When you walk through the wood, look down! You'll see thick carpets of wild garlic, beautiful bluebells, and dog's mercury covering the ground.
Many cool animals call Skipton Wood home too! Keep an eye out for badgers and roe deer. If you're lucky, you might spot some amazing birds like kingfishers, spotted flycatchers, and sparrowhawks. There are also different kinds of woodpeckers, including the spotted and green ones.
At night, the wood comes alive with bats! Several types of bats live here, such as Natterer's, noctule, pipistrelle, brown long-eared, and Daubenton's bats. They fly around catching insects.
