About

The woodlands of Linsty Green occupy an area of 63 hectares, and comprise several blocks, with the larger ones being known as Linsty Green, Great Hagg and Black Beck Mire. They are situated within the southern end of the Lake District National Park between the villages of Haverthwaite and Newby Bridge, overlooking the River Leven and the A590. Most of the land is leased from Finsthwaite Estate, and the Pennybridge Estate, with one part of the southern block being freehold.

Forest type ranges from Upland oak with a bilberry understorey, pure larch to intimate broadleaf / conifer mixtures. Two smaller outlying blocks in the Rusland Valley mainly comprise attractive high quality young beech. Most of the plantations were established in the early 1960’s but there are scattered veteran trees, in particular Scots pine and yew.

All the woodlands are situated wholly within the Lake District National Park and are either Plantations on Ancient Woodland Site (PAW’s) or Ancient Semi Natural Woodland (ASNW). The ancient woodland status dictates that there is a presumption for conversion to native species in line with current Forestry Commission policy.

Recreational activity in Linsty Green is informal. The lessor of Great Hagg, Black Beck Mire and the majority of Linsty Green operates a pheasant shoot using an employed keeper and is unwilling to dedicate this land permanently for open public access. Access is therefore limited to the public rights of way and permissive path.

There are no scheduled monuments. A number of undesignated heritage features are located within the woods associated with historic charcoal pit steads and potash kilns. Additionally two milestone markers are situated close to the boundary.

Objectives

The objectives of management are:

Economic

•Felling proposals are based on the continued thinning of the woodland under a continuous cover regime. Interventions will involve thinning out/removal of the conifer and non-native broadleaf component.

•Underplanting with locally native species in conjunction with sycamore as a nurse crop to help subdue bracken and provide a viable woodfuel resource in 15-20 years’ time.

Environmental

•ASNW restoration is the primary objective of management and timing and yield of operations will be guided by how the woodland is responding to change and not driven by productivity.

•Features of interest associated to the ASNW, such as veteran or feature trees, will be protected and enhanced during operations through sympathetic management.

•Underplanting using tree shelters following thinning interventions will diversify the age class structure and species diversity. Control of bracken using sycamore as a nurse crop will reduce the dependence on the use of chemicals for bracken control. This supports the FC’s chemical reduction policy.

•Create a linked mosaic of hazel and bramble habitat in an attempt to provide future habitat for dormice.

•Paw’s restoration and conifer conversion to broadleaved woodland following CCF principles will enhance the landscape character in accordance with the LCA guidelines for landscape change.

Social

•Due to restrictions in the lease there are no plans to expand public access beyond the current level of use.

What we'll do

The proposals in this plan continue to build on the success of previous plans to support the management of Linsty Green. Exotic conifers and non-native broadleaves will continue to be removed offering timber to markets across the region.  

The current plan outlines management proposals including felling/thinning and regeneration/planting over several decades, with felling licence approval for operations up until 2027. The harvesting of timber, through either the removal of any remaining exotic conifer or non-native broadleaved species will be undertaken using Continuous cover silviculture techniques dictated on the basis of progress toward PAW’s restoration.

For further information regarding species composition and the future management of Linsty Green, please refer to the full plan below.