ANCIENT woodlands are among the glories of our English countryside.
But how many of us were perhaps aware of just how vital these areas are not just in terms of heritage and how the countryside looks but in terms of nurturing bio-diversity.
Geoff Lomas, recreation and catchment manager at Yorkshire Water, draws a graphic parallel when he says: “Ancient woodlands are essentially the UK equivalent of the Amazon rainforests.”
It surely makes us appreciate all the more the thinking behind the felling of non-native trees in ancient woodlands such as Riding Wood near Holme and their replacement with new oak, hazel, rowan, alder and holly to create an upland oak wood.
This is a huge investment by Yorkshire Water to save ancient woodlands, revitalise them for the future and ensure that our countryside continues to combine beauty and purpose in the best possible way.
