A Diamond Jubilee wood is created not only to celebrate a royal anniversary but to enhance everyday life for a local community
A new community wood has started to take shape after local residents were joined by parish councillors and businesses to create the largest new public woodland in Escrick, near York.
The tree planting day, which launched the Three Hagges Jubilee Wood at Escrick Park Estate, invited 60 supporters to plant at least 300 trees. The first tree, a seedling from an ancient oak, was planted by the project’s main sponsor, Persimmon Homes Yorkshire, and started the transformation of nine hectares of formerly arable land into woodland for the benefit of the public.
The Three Hagges Jubilee Wood is being planted in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and is being set up as a not-for-profit enterprise, with assistance from the Forestry Commission and the Woodland Trust.
Rosalind Forbes Adam, wife of estate owner Charles, and her son Beilby, 25, who have designed and masterminded the wood, were delighted with the response from the local community including Hollicarrs Close and Hollicarrs Holiday Park.
She said: ‘We are very encouraged by the success of our first planting day.
‘Our goal is to create a beautiful wood for the community to enjoy which will feature grassy glades and meandering pathways.
‘We have selected a wide range of native wild flowers and grasses to help attract a diverse collection of wildlife.
‘By the end of next year we plan to have planted over 10,000 trees and we very much appreciated that Kevin Thubron from Persimmon Homes Yorkshire agreed to make the first dig. His support has been invaluable in helping to launch the project.’
‘I was honoured to be part of this exciting new project,’ said Mr Thubron. ‘We are currently building new homes in the Selby area and throughout the Yorkshire region and continually look at schemes that will benefit our residents as well as help create a pleasant environment in which to live.’
The Escrick Park Estate team is now charting the woodland’s progress and looking at ways in which the community can support ithe projrect through their anew website threehaggesjubileewood.org.uk.
