Forestry operations at Savernake Forest

Savernake Forest is a working woodland producing sustainable timber. Savernake Forest is a working woodland producing sustainable timber. We are working here from July 2026 for several weeks. This page provides more information about the work we're doing.

What is happening?

We are thinning trees in several parts of the forest including Great Lodge Bottom, Cheval Bottom, Ashlade Firs, and on the northern side of the A4. This means removing selected trees for timber products. This gives the remaining trees more space and light to grow to their full potential. Thinning also lets more light onto the forest floor, which improves the habitat for ground flora and the wildlife it supports.

Ancient woodland and veteran trees

Some of our work areas are classified as Plantation on Ancient Woodland Site (PAWS) which means that we are gradually managing them back to the way it would have been several hundred years ago. Where we are thinning the trees, we will prioritise removing non-native conifers to benefit the broadleaf trees.

While thinning, we will prioritise the health of Savernake’s ancient and veteran trees. We will be looking for opportunities to ‘halo’ around these special trees – including some potential veterans of the future. This means removing vegetation and smaller trees to reduce competition for light and space.

Tree safety

In some high footfall areas, we will be removing ash trees that are showing signs of chalara ash dieback. This is for public safety because ash dieback causes trees to become brittle, and they can drop limbs or fall altogether.

Why are you working now?

We are starting work in the summer to take advantage of the lower rainfall at this time of year. This helps to protect Savernake’s irreplaceable soils. Some of this work has been delayed by two years because we do not work when the ground becomes too wet and risks compacting the soil.

Can I still visit Savernake Forest?

The most important thing for Forestry England is to keep the public, our staff, and contractors safe.

The forest is still open for you to visit. We will try to keep disruption to a minimum but there will be times when we will need to close access around the forest so we can work safely nearby. Please follow all signs and instructions at all times. These are for your safety, whether or not you can see or hear us working. This will help us to finish working as quickly as possible.

Forestry work is very hazardous. A falling tree can weigh several tonnes and hit the ground at nearly 60mph. If a harvesting machine chainsaw snaps, it can fly through the forest like a bullet. There might also be material caught up in the canopy. Never enter a working forestry site.

What about the wildlife?

Harvesting trees is an important part of sustainable forest management and well managed forests support more wildlife. 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 our findings against complex factors including tree health, how the ground slopes, soil condition, and likely rainfall when planning forestry work. While working, we continue to check for wildlife and adapt, pause, or suspend work if necessary.

Special soils

The soils in Savernake Forest store more carbon than all the forest’s trees combined. Without the soils, the forest and its rich biodiversity could not thrive. We work closely with our contractors to plan the most appropriate way of working that protects this irreplaceable resource. This includes preventing machine access on green rides, keeping heavy machinery out of the root protection zones of veteran trees, laying brash mats to protect the ground where machinery must travel, only part-loading the forwarder which moves timber around the work site, and felling trees by hand where necessary.

Where can I find out more?

You can read our land management plan for Savernake Forest online. If you have any questions about our work in the Forest, please email us.