Woodland Management

As the Estate is situated in one of the least wooded parts of the country with only 3.6% of its area covered by trees, one of Richard Pemberton’s key focuses has been to plant areas of woodland. Since returning to the farm in 2007 Richard has over-seen the planting of approximately 50,000 trees. The trees provide roughly 107 acres of new woodland. Most of these have been planted as new woods or plantations, including::

The Diamond Jubilee Wood, Haslingfield. In 2012, to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, at least 60 new woods were planted all over the UK, initiated by the Woodland Trust. Planted and now managed by TFC – with some of the planting done by local primary and secondary school children during the national ‘planting week’, who can still come and visit the trees that they planted. The wood is about 17 acres in size and contains over 7,000 new trees.

Three blocks of woodland have been planted at Manor Farm, Barton, two near the Arbory Trust and one along Bourn Brook near Comberton. These are 2–5 acres each, totalling about 12 acres.

At Wilsmere Down Farm, which is along the Barrington Hills between Barrington and Orwell, two large woods have been planted, providing 15 acres of new woodland.

At Cantelupe Farm, a number of new tree belts have been planted

Approximately 30 acres of willow have been planted for coppicing and to provide fuel for a biomass boiler.

At River Farm, Trumpington (the other side of the River Cam from Grantchester), about 15 acres of ‘cricket bat willows’ have been planted. These trees love the damp conditions adjacent to the river. They are harvested and replanted roughly every 15 years and are sent to the famous English cricket bat makers, Gray Nicolls, who are based locally.

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