Forestry England
Treehouse play area in Fineshade Wood
Forestry England
Partner in "Building the Links for Rockingham Forest"
Forestry England (FE) is delighted to be a partner in this project that will raise the profile of Rockingham Forest, particularly by connecting people to the habitats and wildlife of the area. We manage some of the largest woodland blocks in the area, including Fineshade (499ha), Wakerley (261ha) and Fermyn Woods.
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Our main role in the project will be to support the other partners who will be organising walks, training, school visits and other events across the area and our visitor centre at Top Lodge, Fineshade will be the base for some of these activities. There is a reception area, cafe, toilets, meeting rooms and large carpark (charges apply), all of which make this an ideal location at the heart of Rockingham Forest.
The centre is the gateway to Fineshade Wood, much of which has Open Access and a network of walking trails. It is also very rich in wildlife with over 2400 species of animals and plants having been recorded here. It has been the location for the re-introduction by Butterfly Conservation of the Chequered Skipper butterfly that was previously extinct in England. This was part of the national Back from the Brink Project in which we were also proud partners.
Forestry England are also providing office space and facilities at Top Lodge for the "Building the Links for Rockingham Forest" project. This allows our staff and volunteers to work closely alongside the project officer, an arrangement that has worked very effectively previously with the Butterfly Conservation team, who continue to be based here.
We are very much looking forward to "building the links" with these other partner organisations in this very tangible way!
Offices at Top Lodge, Fineshade
More about FE's work
As part of the Building the Links project, Forestry England are:
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supporting access to Fineshade and other woodlands for walks, school groups, training and other events
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providing office space and facilities at Top Lodge for the Project Officer
Danish Shelters in Fineshade Wood
Contact details
Please email Fineshade.rec@forestryengland.uk