Growing the nation's forests
At Forestry England, we're expertly creating a new woodland between the villages of Luxborough and Roadwater on the edge of Exmoor in Somerset.
The new 21-hectare woodland, called Blackwell Wood, will become a valuable habitat for wildlife, an important carbon store, and produce sustainable timber to support a greener economy. It will also be a new green space for local people to enjoy.
This is one of many new woodlands we're creating at Forestry England to help grow the nation's forests. The work has been made possible thanks to the government's Nature for Climate Fund programme.
Work in progress...
We are pleased to share that we have now published our final design plans for Blackwell Wood. These plans have been created by our team of experts, following thorough surveys of the site's wildlife, soil conditions, and local environment. We also held a public consultation in early 2026, where we invited local people and key organisations to have their say and help us shape our plans for our newest woodland in Somerset. You can view our design plans and find out more about the consultation, including our responses to common comments and questions, by following the link below.
Very soon, we will be submitting our proposals for regulatory review by the Forestry Commission. This needs to happen before we can start planting the new woodland, which we hope to begin in winter 2026/27.
Tree species at Blackwell Wood
For every new woodland we create, we aim to plant a mix of species that complement the surrounding landscape, support a range of wildlife species, and, in time, contribute to the UK's sustainable timber industry. Tree species we're planning to plant at Blackwell Wood include:
- Small-leaved lime
- Alder
- Western red cedar
- Sessile oak
We will also be looking to plant native shrubs in more open areas, which could include hazel, hawthorn, dogwood, and guelder rose.
Frequently asked questions
We're in the early stages of creating our design for the new woodland. Public feedback and surveys will inform our detailed plans for the new woodland. Our aim is to create the new woodland over the next couple of years with initial planting beginning in winter 2026/27.
Yes! The new woodland will be open to the public and provide a quiet space for local people to enjoy and connect with nature. Once we have finished planting the woodland, we will dedicate it under the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act so that people can access and explore the site.
Note that there are currently no plans to create a car park for Blackwell Wood, and access will primarily be through the network of existing footpaths in the area.
The new woodland will provide rich, varied habitats for wildlife. Our designs include open spaces and widely spaced trees to create a diverse environment that will benefit a wide range of species. This may include foraging and commuting bats, badgers, otters, small mammals, foraging and nesting birds, reptiles, common amphibians, and invertebrates. The woodland will also help connect the pre-existing woodlands in the area — Forestry England’s Side Wood and an area of woodland owned by the Fairfield Estate. The new woodland will act as a wildlife corridor between these two sites, making it easier for species to move across the landscape.
