Dartmoor National Park Authority

Restoring Ancient Woodlands

© Petra Tilly  Black-a-tor copse

Ancient woodlands are one of Dartmoor’s richest and most important habitats. Many of these woodlands have been neglected or have been planted with non-native species in the past. The National Park Authority is committed to bringing these woodlands back into favourable management and restoring plantations on ancient woodland sites, in line with Dartmoor Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) targets and woodland strategy actions.

The Dartmoor Ancient Woodland Project is a new initiative which will work with woodland owners to raise awareness, give advice and provide support. The project aims to:

assist landowners to restore and enhance their ancient woodlands, leading to management plan preparation; establish new native woodlands, especially where this extends or links remaining fragments of ancient woodland; restore ancient woodland sites, that have been planted with non-native species in the past, back to native woodland communities;

Plantation ancient woodland site Lower Dart valley

© Ted Giffords Crocadon sawmil	explore funding opportunities to grant-aid the restoration of plantation ancient woodland sites and to encourage the establishment of new native woodland on improved farmland adjoining ancient woodlands; and involve local communities and businesses, for example by providing public access and encouraging the development of new markets for wood products.
	© Ted Giffords - Stacked timber

The project is a partnership between the Dartmoor National Park Authority, English Nature, the Forestry Commission and the Woodland Trust. For more information about the project, please contact Richard Knott directly by email rknott@dartmoor-npa.gov.uk or by phone on 01626 832093 or by post at Dartmoor National Park Authority, Parke, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot TQ13 9JQ