Hull and East Yorkshire has the lowest woodland cover of any county in England. It is likely that the area was historically less wooded than other parts of the country, but there has also been extensive clearance of woodland for agricultural activities. Our scattered ancient and long-established woodlands support specialist woodland species, which require more space to ensure they can expand and move more freely through our landscapes. This can be through transitional habitats such as scrub and wood pasture, as well as hedgerows.
Our parklands are also important wooded habitats that contain veteran and ancient trees – important ecosystems in their own right; an ancient oak can support as many as 2300 species, over 300 of which are dependent on oaks for their survival. It is important that we champion and protect these as well as plan for the future of the species that are reliant upon them.
Increasing tree and woodland cover benefits people as much as it does nature. Wooded areas create more roughness in our landscapes, helping slow down and capture water, reduce the impact of flooding events, and reduce water pollution. Trees can support farm businesses by creating shade for animals or producing additional natural assets: they store carbon, a vital aspect of offsetting the carbon emissions from our businesses and daily activities; they help clear our air, cool our houses and streets, and create spaces where people can choose to relax or be active; they can support the production of sustainable woodland products and nature recovery, if managed in accordance with the UK Forestry Standard. In Hull and East Yorkshire, around 50% of existing woodlands are currently sustainably managed according to Forestry Commission statistics. There is a Forestry Commission ambition to increase woodland cover in Hull and East Yorkshire to 8%. It is important that any new woodlands and wooded areas we create provide a variety of habitats for nature, from wildflower-rich glades, rides, and understoreys to a variety of tree and shrub species with a range of ages and heights.
Standing and lying deadwood should be left in rural and urban spaces where it is safe to do so.
Bats, Hedgehog, Brown Hare, Willow Warbler, Marsh Tit, Tawny Owl, Sparrowhawk, Purple Hairstreak, and Silver-washed Fritillary.
Wood meadow, wood pasture, scrub, hedgerow, ancient woodland (including plantation on ancient woodland), deciduous woodland, coniferous woodland, parkland, veteran and ancient trees.
Climate change adaptation, climate resilience, health and wellbeing, natural flood management, and provision of woodland products.
Millington Woods is a 21 ha ancient ash woodland set within an iconic Yorkshire Wolds valley. It is part of a wider SSSI and is one of the richest woodlands in the East Riding. Parts of the wood are indicative of ancient woodland, with flowers such as Wood Anemone, Dog’s Mercury, and English Bluebell. Norway Spruce has been removed to make way for native species such as Ash.
Unfortunately, Millington Woods suffers significantly from Ash Dieback, and this has a big impact on the visual amenity and biodiversity of the wood. A significant amount of felling has taken place over recent years to protect public safety and control disease spread.
Reserve management needs to adapt to meet this new threat; 800 small trees were planted including Downy Birch, Silver Birch, Aspen, Hazel, Holly, and Wild Cherry during a community event across four days in January 2024. This was a huge success, achieving a great response and plenty of media coverage.
Further planting will likely take place to ensure a sustainable and thriving woodland. There is hope that disease resistant Ash will be found and eventually the wood once more will be dominated by Ash. These are very long-term ambitions and may take 30-60 years to achieve.
Just south of Thorngumbald, local farmer, Roger Cook, and his wife Lesley wanted to improve their land for wildlife and climate mitigation using trees to improve flood resilience and connectivity within the local landscape. The new woodland will add to a 15-year-old plantation. By introducing a variety of species suited to the location, it will join up the area with other nearby woodland.
Humber Forest helped Lesley and Roger to create the new woodland, working to accommodate functionally linked open grassland into the woodland design, and have added in areas of low woodland and scrub specifically aimed at species such as Turtle Dove. As Roger was interested in making the tree protection as sustainable as possible, Humber Forest worked with a local manufacturer to trial tree guards made from plastic alternatives. The site covers a gross area of 3.29 ha with 2.98 ha of woodland, designed with open ground and shaped edges and planted with 5364 native trees and shrubs.
Co-benefits of the project include: