Forestry operations at Great Wood
Letter from Tara Maxamed, Forestry England
I am writing to you as a resident of Great Wood to let you know that we will soon be starting timber harvesting work. We expect to start working around late summer 2026 for approximately for roughly 12 months though exact timescales are still unclear. Although this work may not directly affect you and/or your property, I wanted to let you know that they may have a visual impact on the landscape.
Thinning
We are thinning the trees across the whole site. This means removing selected trees for timber products. This gives the remaining trees more space and light to grow to their full potential.
PAWS
Great Wood is classified as a Plantation on Ancient Woodland Site (PAWS) which means that we are gradually managing it back to the way it would have been several hundred years ago. We will manage the forest to help native broadleaf species such as oak and birch to regenerate naturally.
Re-planting
As it is a PAWS site, we will support natural regeneration, which means we will be encouraging new trees and plants to grow naturally from seeds that are waiting in the soil. If necessary, we might plant new trees to help supplement this natural regeneration. We carefully choose trees species that are suited to the site and expected future climate conditions to sustain a healthy, nature-rich, and resilient forest for the future.
Can I still visit?
At this stage, we are not expecting to officially close any part of the site. The most important thing for Forestry England is to keep the public, our staff, and contractors safe so we will be asking visitors to follow signs for their own safety.
What about the wildlife?
Harvesting trees is an important part of sustainable forest management. Before we start any forestry work, we carry out thorough ecological surveys to check for species such as birds, mammals, rodents, invertebrates, flora, and fungi. This enables us to identify ecological constraints such as the presence of European Protected Species and Schedule 1 protected birds, which affect the time of year when certain operations can be carried out.
We consider these findings against complex factors including tree health, how the ground slopes, soil condition, and likely rainfall when planning work that will support our long-term management plan. There isn’t a single, perfect time of year for forestry work. You can read more about tree felling and nesting birds here.
I have included a map of the area we will be working in (see below), as well as the planned access routes for lorries. Please let me know if I can help by providing any more information. We will be holding face to face meetings in the forest to discuss the upcoming operations, which we will let you know about closer to the time. If you have any questions about this work, please contact me via the details below.
Map lorry accessTara Maxamed
Community Ranger
tara.maxamed@forestryengland.uk
West England Forest District
Forestry Office
Cockercombe, Over Stowey TA5 1HJ
westengland@forestryengland.uk
