About

The Clipstone Forests Plan covers 1,586 ha of woodland that lies 7km east of Mansfield and 20km north of Nottingham.  The plan comprises of eight woodlands: Sherwood Pines (1,175 ha), Cutts Wood (42 ha), Strawberry Hill (74 ha), Golf Course (83ha), Intake (13 ha), Peafield (97 ha) Garibaldi and Cavendish (102ha) which are dominated by commercial conifer crops.

Sherwood Pines is the largest single block of woodland in the East Midlands and has been dedicated as Open Access land by Forestry England who own the woodland.  It now attracts over 750,000 visitors each year who enjoy a wide variety of recreation and leisure activities.  The other woodland areas are managed under lease agreements for ‘forestry purposes only’ and no access provision is made by Forestry England in these woodlands.  The woodlands support a wide variety of flora and fauna some of which are of regional, national and international importance.  Historic features are scattered throughout reflecting past and more recent land uses, with one of the most notable being Parliament Oak (500+ years old) which marks the entrance to Clipstone Park, a former hunting ground used by King John. 

Objectives

Economic

• continue to grow commercial timber using a variety of species that will be more resilient to the impacts of climate change, pests and diseases and maximise yields.
• use a variety of silvicultural systems based around the light requirements of the trees to be established.
• use strip felling to maintain adequate shade to allow more shade tolerant species to become established within the current diseased pine stands.
• ensure felling operations are sustainable and planned at a scale that is sympathetic to the local businesses who are reliant on the forest to attract visitors.
• maintain the land within our stewardship under UK Woodland Assurance Scheme (UKWAS) certification by meeting standards detailed in UKWAS third edition.

Environmental

• continue to create temporary open space created through felling operations for ground nesting birds.
• continue to manage and conserve wet woodland and riparian habitats for biodiversity at Rainworth Water.
• identify and manage heathland habitats away from areas with increased visitor pressure.
• manage open habitats associated to woodland edges to maintain a variety of flora of varying hights to link food chains within the woodland ecosystem.
• identify existing locations of TSI and demonstrate appropriate management to recruit future veteran trees and increase the volume and distribution of deadwood.

Social

• continue to work with local businesses to provide a wider range of services and facilities on site.
• continue to develop and run a programme of events and activities at Sherwood Pines based around education and learning.
• provide an extensive network of promoted trails for walkers, horse riders, cyclists, mountain bikers.
• conserve features of cultural significance including earthworks and World War II features.
• work with volunteer groups to become involved with forest management and foster a sense of ownership.
• promote the Active Forests Programme aimed at creating a sporting habit for life for visitors through communication, partnership and engagement.

What we'll do

The Clipstone Forest Plan outlines management proposals including felling and restocking for a period of 50 years, with felling licence approval for operations up until 2033.

The areas of clearfelling, restocking and open space creation planned for the 10 years to 2026 are summarised below.

In addition to the above felling 560ha will be managed using Low Impact Silvicultural Systems (LISS)*.

The species composition and woodland habitats will remain unchanged over the next 50 years with 77.5% of the woodlands being conifers, 22.5% being broadleaves and 11% open habitats.

For further information regarding the future management of Clipstone Forest Plan woodlands, please refer to the full plan below.