THE Woodland Trust and National Trust are continuing their restoration of Fingle Woods this winter, with more than 50 hectares of conifer plantation being thinned.

Members of the public also had the chance to see heavy horses in action, used by the charities to remove timber from sensitive areas of the woods.

The conifers are being thinned to improve the long-term quality of the remainder of the plantation and provide a buffer to adjacent areas of native woodland which are already regenerating. This gradual approach will allow native species which are a feature of ancient woodland to recolonise and in turn a greater diversity of wildlife too.

Locations like these are known as plantations on ancient woodland (PAWS) and restoration of the sites makes an important contribution to the level of ancient woodland in the UK, which is rare, irreplaceable and covers just 2% of the landscape.

Find out more by reading Thursday’s Times.