National Forest

Conkers Discovery Centre at Moira

The National Forest is an environmental project in the Midlands run by The National Forest Company. It is not a single, consistent forest but a forestry project, and the National Forest Company is a facilitator rather than the owner of all the areas its vision encompasses.

In the course of the project some 200 square miles of northern Leicestershire, southern Derbyshire and south-eastern Staffordshire are being planted, in an attempt to blend ancient woodland with new plantings to create a new national forest.

The forest in concept stretches from the western outskirts of Leicester in the east to Burton upon Trent in the west, and it is planned to link the ancient forests of Needwood and Charnwood.

Location of the forest

The National Forest Company

The National Forest Company is a not-for-profit organisation established in April 1995 as a company limited by guarantee. It is supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), with the aim of converting one third of the land within the boundaries of the National Forest (33,000 acres) to woodland, by encouraging landowners to alter their land use. It is described as "a forest in the making" and it is hoped to increase tourism and forestry-related jobs in the area.

Around 8 million trees have been planted, tripling the woodland cover from 6% to around 18%.

Planting

Approximately 85% of the trees planted are native broadleaf species with some of the most commonly planted species are: oak, ash, poplar, Corsican and Scots pine.

The transformation of the landscape is beginning to take effect as the first tiny whips to be planted in the early 1990s are growing into substantial trees.

Attractions

By Rosliston, Derbyshire

At the centre of the National Forest, is Conkers, a visitor centre located just outside the village of Moira, Leicestershire. There is also a visitor centre with wildlife walks and playgrounds at Rosliston.

Attractions in and around the conceptual Forest include:

Derbyshire		Leicestershire		Staffordshire
Calke Abbey, Ticknall Kedleston Hall Melbourne Hall Beehive Farm, Rosliston Foremark Reservoir, Foremark Forest Four Wheel Drive Rosliston Forestry Centre Sharpes Pottery Museum, Swadlincote Sudbury Hall Swadlincote Ski & Snowboard Centre	At Ashby-de-la-Zouch: Ashby Canal Ashby Castle Ashby de-la-Zouch Museum Ferrers Centre for Arts and Crafts Bardon Hill - highest point in Leicestershire and in the National Forest at 912 feet above sea level. The Battlefield Line Railway, Beacon Hill, Leicestershire Donington le Heath Manor House Flagship Diamond Wood	Grace Dieu Priory Moira Furnace Mount St Bernard Abbey Loughborough Outwoods Conkers, Moira Billa Barra Hill Bradgate Park Greenwood Days Hill Hole Quarry Martinshaw Woods, Groby	North West Leicestershire Museums Sence Valley Forest Park Shortheath Fisheries, Moira Snibston Discovery Park Staunton Harold Reservoir & Visitor Centre Swithland Wood Thornton Reservoir Tropical Birdland Twycross Zoo Willesley Wood	National Memorial Arboretum Barton Turns Marina, Barton under Needwood Claymills Victorian Pumping Station Crackpotz Ceramic Café, Burton-on-Trent Croxall Lakes Fradley Junction National Forest Llama Treks The Museum of Brewing at Coors Visitor Centre The National Forest Maze Uttoxeter Heritage Centre Uttoxeter Racecourse

As well as Ashby de la Zouch, the towns of Burton upon Trent, Swadlincote and Coalville are within the forest area.

Outside links

• The National Forest Visitor pages
• The National Forest
• Rosliston Forestry Centre
• Conkers