Forestry England has approved a new long-term management plan for Chopwell, Spen Banks and Clockburn — a 360-hectare area of mixed woodland near Gateshead, Tyne and Wear — with operations governed under a felling licence that are authorised through 2030. The plan marks a shift to a Continuous Cover Management approach, which favours selective thinning of individual trees or small groups rather than large-scale clear-felling.
The project aims to progressively restore the woodland toward native broadleaf species while continuing to provide a steady supply of timber to regional markets. According to Forestry England, which ran a public consultation that closed on 12 December 2024, the plan seeks to balance environmental, social and economic objectives to help keep the forest healthy for wildlife and the local community.
Local residents can expect organised tree work in different parts of the woods over the coming years, though the site will continue to be an important community resource — Forestry England estimates around 200,000 visits a year (an estimate from approximately ten years ago). The Friends of Chopwell Wood, a local volunteer charity, continues to work alongside foresters to promote education, conservation and public access.
Gateshead Council records document Chopwell Wood’s deep industrial heritage, including its connections to coal mining and the former colliery railway that ran through the site. The woods also have a wartime history: Chopwell was a base for the Women’s Timber Corps (the ‘Lumberjills’) during the Second World War, a fact recorded in regional heritage accounts and contemporary reports. The new plan aims to protect the site’s ancient-woodland features (it is designated as a Plantation on Ancient Woodland Site) while supporting health and social-prescribing projects and providing sustainably managed timber.
