Forest news
Deene Lake on a day when the sun shone in November
News from Rockingham Forest
Here is a selection of news, national and local, that has particular significance for Rockingham Forest.
Fond farewell to Corinne and Sophie
1 December 2024
This month our Building the Links for Rockingham Forest project comes to an end - yes two years have flown by! Very sadly this means that our two project officers are moving on. Dr. Corinne Muir has been working closely with us for 4 years and as Senior Project Officer since 2022. She lives in Coventry and will be returning to work for the City Council there.
Please read Corinne's poem, which so pertinently sums up Rockingham Forest: "Couldn't see the wood for the trees?".
Sophie van den Bergh also joined us as Project OffIcer in 2022 and you can read her latest blog article here. She lives locally, so when she returns from travelling to distant parts, we very much hope to see a lot more of her.
National Nature Reserves, new leaflets
22 November 2024
Natural England (NE) have produced new leaflets with maps describing the National Nature Reserves that they manage in and around Rockingham Forest. Of particular interest is the leaflet describing Collyweston Great Wood and Easton Hornstocks which can be downloaded from the NE website.
On that webpage you can also find leaflets for the two nearby NNR's of Barnack Hills and Holes, and Castor Hanglands. The leaflets explain the access arrangements for the reserves and when a permit is required.
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Closure of much-loved caravan site
3 November 2024
There has been a peaceful, minimal-facility caravan site at Top Lodge Fineshade for over 40 years. Run by the Caravan and Motorhome Club, generations of caravanners and, increasingly, campervanners have come year after year to enjoy this peaceful site at the heart of Rockingham Forest. But now the site is closing for the last time, and many regular visitors are very disappointed. According to the club's website their lease is not being extended despite requests to Forestry England (FE).
At the time of writing FE have made no public announcement about their plans for the future of the site.
Important consultation on nature recovery
28 October and update 23 November 2024
North Northamptonshire Council have been drawing up a draft strategy setting out priorities for nature in the county. This Local Nature Recovery Strategy will inform the local planning process, agreeing priorities for nature recovery and mapping the most valuable areas. It is a most important document and everyone with any interest in protecting nature should take time to read and respond before the consultation closes on 9 December.
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There is information on this page, of the council's website, including two helpful video guides. There is an amazing mapping portal which can be accessed here and a specific consultation portal here.
Update: We have produced a single-page step-by-step guide to taking part in the consultation. You can download it here.
Water Voles ... and Beavers
9 October 2024
Our partners the Wildlife Trust BCN have recently released 116 captive-bred Water Voles at their Nene Wetlands Nature Reserve and later this autumn a family of Beavers will be released into a fenced enclosure. Although slightly upstream from the main Rockingham Forest area, it is hoped that both these species will, in time, spread along all the forest water courses where the habitat is right and where they do not have non-native predators such as mink (Read our news item from 16 January this year)
There is lots more interesting reading about these two projects on the WTBCN website, where you will also find a short video.
TWO awards for woodland management
4 October 2024 and update 14 October
Our partners Carolyn Church and Hugh Ross, of Rawhaw Wood have received the Esmond Harris Award for developing a method of dead hedging that creates an effective barrier to deer while enhancing biodiversity.
​You can read more about the award and their method of dead hedging here.
Also Carolyn described the technique in her Diary, "Winter in Rawhaw" which she wrote for us back in January 2023.
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The next weekend Hugh and Carolyn also received the Coppice Peers award at the AGM of the National Coppice Federation. This was for work in the restoration of Rawhaw wood over the past 30years, recreating a working coppiced woodland.
There's a chance to come and meet Hugh and Carolyn and see their handiwork later this month on 26th October - please book a free place now.
Where were all the butterflies?
19 September 2024
It has been a very, very poor year for butterflies and moths in Rockingham Forest - just like the rest of the country. Butterfly Conservation, one of the local partners in our current project, this week declared a Butterfly Emergency, calling on the new government to implement an immediate and permanent ban on butterfly-harming neonicotinoid pesticides. They are asking all their supporters and concerned individuals to sign their letter to Secretary of State, Steve Reed, calling on him to take the “accelerated action” for nature that he and his Government have promised. The link is here https://butterfly-conservation.org/emergency and you can add your name to the letter until 13th October.
Further demise of Cathedral Tree
29 August 2024
Despite Forestry England's best efforts (as we reported in July) there has been further very extensive damage to the famous and much-loved Beech tree that stood in the woods between King's Cliffe and Fineshade. The recent unseasonally strong winds have now brought almost all of the tree down. This is exactly what Forester Scott Martin predicted in this excellent video: "If we get a real bad storm tomorrow it could take the rest of the limbs off in one go, or it could still be here in another 50 years. We just don't know."
We intend to produce a fuller article about the Cathedral tree in the near future.
Green Flag award for the 10th year
4 August 2024
North Northamptonshire Council have been awarded the prestigious international quality mark for four of their parks, 2024-5: Coronation Park, East Carlton Countryside Park, Rockingham Road Pleasure Park and, for the 10th successive year, Hazel and Thoroughsale Woods.
The Green Flag Award scheme recognises and rewards parks that meet the needs of the community, are well maintained and safe, providing people with the opportunity to lead healthy lifestyles.
Photography workshop in Coronation Park
16 July 2024
The first workshop of our creative competition took place last week in Coronation Park Corby. Professional photographer, Hannah Carter-Orton showed participants how to use various techniques and settings in their own phone or camera to capture a sense of place. There was some beautiful Rockingham Forest wildlife to capture in this attractive urban park.
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We hope to see some of the participants’ photos as entries in our competition and your entries too of course! If you need further inspiration there are more upcoming workshops (in clay and collage) as well as a recorded workshop in paper sculpture that you can follow along at a time to suit you. Please see the competition page for more information,
Full funding for all sorts of forestry training courses
11 July 2024
The Forestry Commission has announced that the Forestry and Arboriculture Training Fund will shortly be open for applications. This fund covers the the full cost of short, practical training courses in forestry and arboriculture. 100% grant funding is available for people considering a change of career or seeking to build and diversify their skills. Courses include planning and planting a new woodland, coppicing, deer stalking, chainsaw maintenance, aerial tree pruning, branch removal and crown reduction, as well as assisted felling and tree surveying. Full details here.
Fineshade's Cathedral Tree - update
2 July 2024
We reported last autumn that what is arguably Fineshade Wood's finest tree had lost two of its huge limbs. Forestry England have now erected fencing around the veteran tree , along with interpretation panels describing how they have decided to manage the sad but inevitable decline of what for many people is a most significant tree. You can download a copy of the sign here but what is highly recommended is to listen to Forester, Scott Martin's explanation, using the QR code or by following this link.​
New website for National Character Areas
15 May 2024
Yesterday Natural England launched a new interactive website for National Character Area profiles. There are 159 of these areas and Rockingham Forest is number 92. By clicking on this link you can now find interactive maps and updated statistics which, NE say, will help inform decision making across the area. The link to "Key Facts & Data" provides a range of maps and resources bringing together an amazing range of information.
A Creative Competition for Rockingham Forest
8 May 2024 and updated 13 June
A Creative Competition is now open, with the theme ‘What Rockingham Forests mean to me’. This is open to anyone, all ages and abilities, and we’re particularly interested in seeing work from people who live, work or play in Rockingham Forest.
We would love to see a wide range of creative styles – we’re interested in seeing (or hearing) what Rockingham Forest inspires - whether you’re a writer, painter, photographer, potter, carver, crafter or singer (or in any other creative field). Further information here, and get out in the Forest to get your inspiration.
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Contact Corinne if you would like to be involved in organising the competition: corinne@neneriverstrust.org
Baroness Young visits Rockingham Forest
2 May 2024
It was a great pleasure to welcome Baroness Barbara Young of Old Scone for a tour of parts of Rockingham Forest today. As Chair of the Woodland Trust, Barbara was keen to see the Trust's Millenium Wood, which is so ably managed by the King's Cliffe community - we were particularly impressed by an encounter with no fewer than four Adders! Other highlights of her visit were seeing the very rare Herb Paris in Bedford Purlieus and the White Cross near the Willow Brook. There was much discussion about our vision to connect and enhance rich habitats across the the forest and it was great to see what has already been achieved on the ground.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies for Northants
27 April 2024
LNRS are part of the Environment Act 2021, delivering key priorities for nature across England. This means mapping all the existing designated sites for nature and exploring how they can be enhanced and connected. Our local councils have partnered with Nene Rivers Trust and others to create a stakeholder engagement plan and you can find out more on the NRT website here.
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There are lots of details on that page including an informative video and details on how you can be involved - there will soon be a survey for local residents to complete. The plan is to produce the final LNRS for Northants by December this year.
Council reach target of 10,000 trees
3 April 2024
North Northants Council have announced that they achieved their aim of planting over 10,000 trees during last winter's planting season. (Details here.) Congratulations to the NNC team who have been driving this forward, in particular to the Woodland Ranger Hannah Dunstan who has written this new blog article for us describing some of the highs and lows of planting so many trees during this wet, wet winter. We have also reported on some of the planting events that have been organised on this page of the website.
Bulwick Estates' Biodiversity Project - a report
25 March 2024
We have been publicising elsewhere on this website some of the great work taking place over an extensive area between the villages of Harringworth and Bulwick, on Bulwick Estates land. (See for example here, here and here.) Today the estate has published a detailed report summarising what they have achieved over the first year of the biodiversity project and we are delighted that they have allowed us to make it available here.
Please click the button to download the 6-page report - a fascinating account of habitat creation and improvement here in Rockingham Forest
More money announced for woodland creation
19 March 2024
Yesterday the government announced large increases to the payments available to landowners who are creating woodlands. The maximum rate payable per hectare is increasing by 45% from £8000 to £11,600. This includes a "Nature Recovery - premium payment option of £3300 per hectare to encourage planting or natural colonisation of highly biodiverse woodlands adjacent to existing Ancient Woodland: there's certainly lots of potential for this in the Rockingham Forest area! There's a summary of all the grants like this that are available to landowners on this page of our website.
Walks without wellies - new feature needs your help
24 February 2024
We often get asked where you can go walking in the forest without being up to your ankles in mud. The problem has been particularly bad this very wet winter but there are still very pleasant walks on man-made hard tracks where are all you need is a decent pair of walking boots. This new feature of the website will list some of these tracks - from those at well-known visitor centres to less-frequented farm and quarry tracks that are open to the public. But we need your help - if you know of other possibilities that we haven't yet listed please do let us know.
Woodland Creation workshop
19 February 2024
Last week there was a full house at KIng's Cliffe Active for a free workshop and lunch presented by the Forestry Commission. This was aimed at local landowners and managers, explaining the benefits of tree planting and woodland creation, both for income and to produce good quality habitats. Of particular interest to those present was a presentation on the new Woodland Carbon Code. A summary list of all the grants available was distributed and can be downloaded here.
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"Forest for the Nation" competition
3 February 2024
Today DEFRA announced that applications are open for a competition to create a new "Forest for the Nation" . Up to £10 million will be available from central government for the successful bidder. As well as new tree planting to connect and improve existing woodland, the emphasis will be on benefitting local communities and creating a lasting legacy that will benefit future generations.
A Phase 1 application must be submitted by mid March with a decision by the end of the year. More details here.
Quite an opportunity!
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Funding to create 30 Community Orchards
26 January 2024
North Northamptonshire Council has announced that they have received funding to help local groups or schools create Community Orchards - up to thirty of them- across the county. With expert support from Stamford Community Orchard Group, orchards large and small can be planted next winter. Groups who have a publicly accessible site
need to register to join the project and then take advantage of planning help and free training through the year, not to mention the free fruit trees and planting kits to go plant in the ground in less than a year's time. Lots more detail and registration here.....
Good news for Water Voles, but not for Mink
16 January 2024
The Waterlife Recovery Trust (WRT) announced this week that American Mink have now been eradicated from eastern England. Mink predate our native wildlife, particularly Water Voles ("Ratty" from Wind in the Willows). Control measures are now being expanded west including across the Rockingham Forest area, opening the possibility of Water Vole reintroductions along our streams and brooks. Some local landowners are already involved and volunteers needed to help. Read more here and contact WRT if you are interested.
Weekley Hall Wood saved from warehouse development
9 January 2024
What a brilliant result for the Save Weekley Hall Wood campaign!
Yesterday the Planning Inspector dismissed the Duke of Buccleuch's appeal and refused planning permission for the erection of 5 warehouses and other buildings on the woodland and meadow site on the northern edge of Kettering.
"I consider the harms to biodiversity, the landscape and visual harm and, the fundamental conflict with Policy 36 are not outweighed by the benefits of the scheme".
Many, many congratulations to the campaign team who have been fighting this proposal for over four years.
Rockingham Forest Vision - the video!
12 December 2023
We are really grateful to journalist, broadcaster and student, Issy Clarke, who recently gave up her time filming and making a promotional video for us. It was one of those crisp, clear winter days and Rockingham Forest was looking at its best, as you can see.
The video is presented by Jeremy Purseglove and is set in and around Bedford Purlieus. Thank you very much Issy!
Butterfly Conservation's new Landscape Officer
5 November 2023
In September we reported on funding for a new project, Threatened Species Recovery for Northamptonshire's Woodlands led by Butterfly Conservation. We are delighted to hear that Dr. Jamie Wildman has been appointed to lead the project as Northants Landscape Officer. Jamie is a familiar figure in the area as he lives locally and recently researched the Chequered Skipper butterfly reintroduction to Rockingham Forest for his PhD. We look forward to working closely with Jamie in the future and hope to support the new project's aim of creating ‘stepping stones’ of enhanced habitat in the Rockingham Forest landscape. ( Read Jamie's first blog )
Meadow Bridge becomes Meadow Junction
31 October 2023
Huge congratulations to Kings Cliffe Wildplaces team who have enabled the Railway Path to be re-opened by constructing brick pathways using over 5000 bricks from the former Meadow Bridge. The bridge had become unsafe and, when efforts to rescue it met a solid brick wall ,the structure, very sadly had to be demolished. Now over 25 villagers have devoted their Sundays to putting the materials to good use and the full pathway, all 2 miles of it, is open again. Lots more details and pictures of this outstanding community effort on the Transition Kings Cliffe's Facebook page.
The Wildlife Trusts' Big Wild Walk 2023
12 October 2023
The Wildlife Trusts. including our partners WTBCN, are inviting us all to challenge ourselves by walking, swimming or cycling over a distance we choose during the last two weeks of this month. The idea is to get sponsorship, raising funds to protect wildlife while exploring the nature around us. So how about setting yourself a challenge within Rockingham Forest? For example, how about walking 30 miles in the forest area? And maybe you could write a blog article about it for this website too? Full details and registration are here.
Sad demise of a landmark veteran tree
2 October 2023 and updated 9 October
Known as the "Cathedral Tree "in Fineshade and simply as "The Beech Tree" in King's Cliffe, this ancient tree has lost two of its massive limbs in recent storms. The cause of the problem is plain to see - there is extensive white rot though the fallen trunks and a likelihood of more rot in those that remain. Forester Scott Martin is not hopeful that anything useful can be done to halt the tree's decline. An arborist will look at the tree soon and until then Forestry England has fenced the tree off for safety reasons. It really does look very unsafe and it's so sad to see . On the fallen trunks can be seen initials carved by local people up to 100 years ago showing the part the tree has played in the area's heritage. There is more about the tree on the Friends of Fineshade website.
