About the forest plan area

Rogate Forest comprises seven woodlands: Iron Hill, Shufflesheeps, Hatch Copse, Hatch Fir, Great Hanger, Coldharbour, and Rogate Main — covering a total of 330.4 hectares. The area is situated north-east of Petersfield in West Sussex, located within the South Downs National Park.

The current woodland structure at Rogate is predominantly coniferous, with conifers making up about 64% and broadleaves 36% of the total tree cover. Douglas fir is the most common species, followed by birch, and the woodland features a mix of even-aged stands averaging 48 years old. Significant areas of the woods have been classified as ancient woodland.

Several woodlands border designated sites, and Shufflesheeps is within a Grade II* Registered Park and Garden. The woods are a popular location for recreation and are used by public for activities including walking, dog walking, horse riding, and mountain biking. Public access is encouraged and a network of Public Rights of Way run through the blocks, including The Serpent Trail. 

Objectives of the plan

For climate

• Promote resilience via species, habitat, and functional diversity.
• Maintain and increase the native composition of ancient semi-natural woodland (ASNW).
• Restore planted ancient woodland sites (PAWS) to native and honorary native woodland.
• Increase species and age diversity through forest management operations.
• Actively manage and remove Norway spruce stands.
• Use natural regeneration where possible after felling.

For wildlife

• Increase the conservation value of habitats, enhancing biodiversity.
• Take opportunities to increase the nature conservation value of existing habitats and support open space development.
• Control invasive plant species and reduce their impact.
• Identify and map Priority Ecological Corridors.

For people

• Maintain existing recreational capacity in accessible woods.
• Seek opportunities to develop recreational capacity and high-quality visitor experiences while retaining woodland resilience.

What we’ll do

The operations approved in this Forest Plan will run from 2026 to 2036. During this time, 17 ha will be felled. 0.8 ha of this will be left open to expand on the existing heathland habitat at Iron Hill, while the rest will be restocked, either through planting or natural regeneration, using native or mixed species. Up to 19 ha will be managed as Regeneration Felling LISS. In addition to this, 160 ha will be managed under Lower Impact Silvicultural Systems. 16 ha will continue to be managed as coppice.

Rogate will be managed as a resilient, diverse, and ecologically rich landscape, where PAWS restoration strengthens ancient woodland character and a broader range of species enhances long-term availability. The forests will continue to transition away from vulnerable conifers and ageing monocultures, with proactive responses to pests – particularly the removal of Norway Spruce to mitigate against the threat of Ips typographus. 

Accessible sites will provide high-quality recreational experiences through maintained and enhanced ride networks, while habitat connectivity and species recovery remain central to future management.