Bradford Estates is set to open a new walk making its historic woodlands accessible to the public.
The landed estates business, which is responsible for around 12,000 acres on the Staffordshire-Shropshire border, is planting over 195,000 new trees to create over 240 acres of woodland.
Its new walk, called The Bradford Walk, grants permissive public access to hundreds of acres of previously private woodlands, combining 10 miles of newly created and existing paths to create England’s longest new permissive public path under the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) scheme.
Alexander Newport, Managing Director of Bradford Estates, said: “We want to open up our beautiful estates in a sensitive way and create connectivity for both native wildlife and the local community as well as visitors to the area. In these times, when people are calling for more green space, access to nature has never been more important.
“As an organisation, we are also acutely aware of the Climate Emergency and believe this scheme will contribute towards the nation’s net zero targets.”
Historic woodlands cover almost 10 per cent of the company’s 12,000 acres, and access to these natural spaces has been private for nearly 1,000 years.
The woodland planting and access are funded through the EWCO scheme, administered by the Forestry Commission.
It supports Bradford Estates’ aim to increase woodland cover on its landholding to 20 per cent over the next 15 years and consequently sequester significant amounts of carbon dioxide as a contribution towards the UK’s net zero targets.
The planting of the trees will be completed by the end of April with the trails construction happening simultaneously leaving wayfinding, gates and other infrastructure to be installed by Autumn.
The tree planting will be entirely plastic-free with an investment of nearly double the costs being made to use eco-friendly tree guards made from cotton and pine resin.
Eliza Newport, of Bradford Estates and Trustee of The Tree Council, said: “During Covid, we walked the forests and lakes on the estates and were inspired to find a way to open up these beautiful natural spaces for the community to enjoy.
“We wanted to reverse the trend of declining tree planting, maintain the lush forests and restore woodland habitats for today and for future generations to enjoy. It has taken almost five years, but we are proud to see this vision come to life.”
Future plans for the permissive trails include parking facilities, art installations and possibly a playground, establishing a community facility that will enable Bradford Estates to hold events and other activities.
