September

Preston Spring Wood

Shortly we will be launching an exciting fundraising appeal for the Yorkshire Dales Landscape Project – do keep visiting the web site for the latest news! 

In the meantime we are currently working to acquire a flagship woodland site to launch this exciting phase in the project 

Preston Spring Wood is a 23-acre woodland: far from untouched by man it is deeply reminiscent of the typical woodlands one would expect to see at this location in the Dales. It occupies the steepest part of the valley side overlooking the heavily grazed and ‘in bye’ land with its walls and barns and defining the edge of the moorlands above. The rock on which it sits is limestone – the rock that defines much of the Dales landscape and that gives the flora much of its huge diversity.

The site is listed as ancient in the English Nature inventory of important woodlands and, if you visit at the right time of year you can readily see why! The trees are often old and misshapen – excellent for the bats which will roost in the holes in old trees – and often containing deadwood – excellent for the woodpeckers who seek for beetles and insects in the exposed deadwood – but also interspersed with young trees and open patches where flowers and herbs dominate the land at ground level. A peak in the woodlands either side of Preston Spring Wood show just how different they are from this gem which we are hoping to acquire and save for the future.

With the existing woodland we are also able to acquire just over 8 acres of meadow, which can be used for some additional planting of trees. We aim to plant locally native trees and do so in a manner that will retain quite a lot of open space – particularly around the small bog area (which is in itself important for wildlife) - and will enhance the visitors’ enjoyment of the wood.


If you wish to support the Yorkshire Dales Landscape Project we will ensure donation money will be 'geared up' through the unique partnership agreements of this new project, to maximise the impact of your money in creating and protecting woodlands in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. 

Because of the unique partnerships agreements of the Yorkshire Dales Landscape Project in most cases, every £1.00 donated to the project will result in £3.00 being utilised to protect, plant and manage woodland.



Alternatively, phone our credit card hotline on 0800 026 9650.

To make a donation by post with cheque or credit card - please click here, print off the form and when complete send with your cheque made payable to 'The Woodland Trust' to: 

The Woodland Trust - Yorkshire Dales Landscape Project 
PO Box 418, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.  HD8 0XY