Peat Pits Wood

New Buildings Farm took over Peat Pits Wood, Alderwasley when it was sold at the end of 2008. This wood was previously owned by the Forestry Commission. The Forestry Commission granted open access to the woodland, so you are free to walk around the wood.

It was used for experimental plantings of various non-native softwood species during the 60s, 70s and 80s. Since then, little has been done to the wood.

It is our intention, with the approval of the Forest Commission, to convert this conifer plantation back to native broadleaved woodland and traditional coppice. It lies next to Shining Cliff Wood which is an SSSI and rich in flora and fauna. It is hoped that allowing the natural regeneration of birch, rowan, oak and sweet chestnut will result in an significant improvement in the diversity of wildlife and flowers in Peat Pits Wood. The woodland areas will likely be similar in character to Shining Cliff Woods further down the hill, since the soil and situation is much the same.

In order for this to happen the conifer, which is now deteriorating and suffering serious windblow, has to be felled. This will take place over the next few years. The first felling will be of the corsican pine at the western end of the wood which is in very poor condition and diseased. At the same time a thinning will take place in the larch above the track from Nether Park farm to Alderwasley Park gate to improve this as a timber crop and as a habitat for birds. Following this some planting will take place to increase the proportion of oak and spraying will be necessary to control bracken otherwise it will smother any small trees.

This will mean the first major change to the look of the wood in the last forty years but we hope the end result will be a significant improvement. While this work is taking place there will be some disruption to the Open Access allowed in the wood. If machinery is working it may be necessary to restrict access but we will do this as little as possible. Please respect any notices put up for the safety of you and your animals.

So what will happen in the wood?

The first work will be the felling of the Corsican pine at the western end of the wood, and the thinning of the larch at the southeastern end of the wood.

Images produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.