Silk Wood project audio description

Impact on Silk Wood

First discovered in Westonbirt’s semi-natural ancient woodlands in 2015, Chalara ash dieback will change the Silk Wood landscape.
We will be implementing our ash management plan in early 2021, in order to give Silk Wood the best chance of a resilient future.
200 acres of Silk Wood is affected.

Key management statistics include:

  • 22.78 hectares of woodland thinning
  • 6.74 hectares to be clear felled and replanted
  • 3.51 hectares of non-intervention for research purposes
  • 2000 dead or dying trees to be felled initially
  • 23 exotic ash species in the formally planted areas will be left and monitored
Photo is an area view of Silk Wood at Westonbirt, looking down at the lush green canopy of the ash woodlands.