FORESTRY England will create a Coronation Wood at Bucknell near Ludlow to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

The woodland, which Forestry England plans to call Lower Lye Wood, will cover 21 hectares and connect with Bucknell Wood, an existing 225-hectare woodland.

The new woodland site will be planted with a mix of broadleaf and conifer trees providing a rich habitat for wildlife, a natural space for people to enjoy, and a sustainable source of timber.

Lower Lye Wood is going to be open for public access, designed as a quiet woodland for local people to explore and enjoy. A stream runs through the site, and Forestry England will design the woodland and choose tree species to improve the wildlife habitat.

Forestry England will share designs for the new woodland during public consultation in early 2024, and will invite local people and organisations to give their ideas and feedback. The plans will be submitted to the Forestry Commission for approval before planting begins.

The forester for the Shropshire Hills, Clive Jackson, said: "We're very excited. Planning and planting a brand-new woodland is an exciting moment and we're doing the detailed work of deciding the right mix of tree species and climate conditions here. We're looking carefully at the many benefits this woodland will bring in the decades ahead including how the wood can boost biodiversity and help nature recovery across Shropshire."

Lower Lye Wood is one of many woodlands to be planted by 2026 which together will cover more than 2,000 hectares and support government targets to increase tree planting across the UK. Forestry England is also creating other Coronation Woods through the government's nature for climate fund. 

Forestry England is an agency that manages and cares for the nation's woods and forests. It is the country's largest land manager, shaping landscapes and enhancing forests for people to enjoy, wildlife to flourish and businesses to grow. It aims to make the forests resilient to climate change, with aims to create 6,000 more hectares, increase the diversity of visitors, and plant at least 2,000 hectares of new woodlands by 2026.