Wiltshire Wildlife Trust has announced the purchase of Great Wood, an ancient woodland near Grittenham in North Wiltshire, which covers 71 hectares. The transformation of Great Wood into a nature reserve prevents the woodland from being sold off in small parcels to multiple landowners or commercially managed; it will enable the Trust to protect one of the county’s few remaining large ancient woodlands. The Trust’s purchase was made possible by a very generous grant from Biffa Award, a multi-million pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through awarding grants to community and environmental projects across the UK, as part of the Landfill Communities Fund.

Only 3% of Wiltshire is ancient woodland and there is only 8% of woodland cover in total. Great Wood is in urgent need of restoration to its former glory to realise its full potential to attract wildlife that has been lost from the area and prevent more species disappearing. The Trust will now embark on a major programme of restoration work.

Ancient woodlands have delicate and complex ecosystems that have developed over hundreds of years. They defend against climate change by storing huge amounts of carbon, have far greater plant biodiversity than recently planted woodlands and support a stunning array of insects, birds and mammals. Some species are typically only found in ancient woodlands, including butterflies such as the wood white, pearl-bordered fritillary and purple emperor, and birds such as nightingale and willow warbler.

Under the restoration programme, the non-native conifer plantation, which currently covers around a third of the woodland and does not support much wildlife, will be replaced with a mix of native broadleaf trees such as oak and hazel. The Trust will also create more space for the remaining rare wild service trees to flourish and grow. The Trust will create glades, widen paths, coppice trees and remove invasive plants to improve the health and biodiversity of the woodland by encouraging fresh growth. This will provide more diverse habitat on the woodland floor and along the woodland's edge for insects, ground flora and small animals.

Ponds in woodlands also provide homes to a huge variety of wildlife. The Trust will restore Great Wood’s existing large pond and create a second. With droughts becoming more common, flourishing ponds will be key in helping sustain Great Wood’s bird, mammal, amphibian and insect residents as well as its varied plant life.

Establishing a programme of community engagement activities that will continue long into the future will be a key part of this project. Easily accessible from major towns such as Swindon, Great Wood also offers a tremendous place for local communities to enjoy nature, relax, learn and volunteer. From learning in nature, including providing a rare resource for the new Natural History GCSE, to forest school, guided walks and eco-therapy, the Trust will provide a host of engaging activities, allowing everyone to benefit from nature.

Whilst Biffa Award will fund much of the project, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust will soon be asking for support to complete the work that will deliver all the benefits that Great Wood can provide wildlife and local people. More information about the ways to support the project, including a public appeal and local volunteering opportunities will be posted on Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s social media pages and at www.wiltshirewildlife.org over the coming months.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust will be assisted by partners Butterfly Conservation, Braydon Forest Farm Cluster, Wiltshire Botanical Society and Wiltshire Ornithological Society in delivering this project.

We are grateful that Great Wood has been sold to the Trust by the Stewart family. Great Wood was owned and managed by the family for more than half a century with the late Commander Ninian Stewart as its enthusiastic custodian.