Drakes Wood, Denby

Drake’s Wood, just north of Denby, was once an open agricultural field, typical of the wider landscape of irregular pastures and sparse hedgerows. When the current landowners bought the site two years before, they had a clear intention to transform the land into healthy woodland. With a free tree planting grant from Derbyshire’s Heartwood Community Forest, they have now been able to put this idea into action.

From the outset, Heartwood worked closely with the landowners to create a design that would suit both the land and their long-term vision. Our Woodland Creation Advisors conducted site surveys and mapping, helping the landowners understand the soil and suitable tree species. The result is a thoughtful layout of woodland blocks and smaller copses, creating structure while respecting the field’s natural character. 

In total, 9,060 trees were planted across 6.55 hectares, including birch, oak, pine, hazel and buckthorn. A distinctive feature of the design is a wide bask created to support wildlife by providing sheltered open ground where species can feed, move and rest safely. This will attract birds, insects, pollinators, and amphibians, and greatly improve the biodiversity of the new woodland.

The landowners reached out to Heartwood in mid-October, the project moved smoothly over the winter months, and by March planting was complete. With costs covered and delivery managed by Heartwood on the landowners’ behalf, their focus could remain on enjoying the land and introducing their grandchildren to their future forest.