Grangewood Hall, Derbyshire: Fantastic plant growth, minimal losses

National Forest and BHT: Sustainable woodland means quality young plants, individually protected

Creating an appropriate setting reflective of its history, the establishment and continuing health of woodland planting at Grangewood Hall, Derbyshire owes its success to three elements. The three? A credit to its forestry management, the supply of healthy UK provenance young plants and the appropriate Tubex plant protection - the former provided by Cameron Forest and Garden and the latter by BHT.

Part of the eponymous large ancient woodland Grange Wood and within the National Forest, the woodland in South Derbyshire is a source of timber production with high conservation value.

Over 40,000 young plants supplied with individual tree protection - Tubex guards, canes and stakes - by BHT, give the Hall and woodland a sense of place and scale. This allowed the creation of a 'country estate feel' whilst reflecting the history and grandeur of the surrounding landscape.

Selected young plants for hardiness and resilience

Planted in a four-year programme since 2012, the young plants in 16 varieties supplied by Lincolnshire-based BHT were planted, individually protected with Tubex Easywraps and staked by the Cameron Forestry team, headed up by Angus Hancock. Selected for their hardiness and resilience to both disease and the effects of climate change, the varieties include:

"We're creating landscapes; a whole package of works"

After four growing seasons and two particularly wet springs following their initial planting, the UK provenance tree stocks from BHT are doing exceptionally well with losses of only 2%. Angus Hancock, responsible for sourcing and planting the trees and hedging (a general mixed hedgerow) has been impressed with the growth and health of the woodland as it continues to mature. "Not only are we planting trees, we're creating landscapes; a whole package of works". He attributes the success to his ongoing partnership with BHT and their commitment to supplying healthy plants with UK provenance. He believes that the woodland created at Grangewood typifies what the National Forest Company (NFC) is about: new productive woodland, wildlife woodland, landscaping woodland and new hedgerows.

Woodland Creation in Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Staffordshire

The NFC is committed to facilitate 33% woodland cover across its 200 square miles of land. With ongoing strategies implemented since its first plantings in 1990, the National Forest Strategy and Business Plan 2014-2024 proposes that the NFC receives £2.2 million government funding for woodland creation and the support of landowners. By March 2017, 6,200 hectares of young maturing woodlands will be under its management.

Thanks to Forestry Journal for their original coverage of this and other NFC projects featured in June 2017.