FTS Great Western

Nightingale Wood

in the Great Western Community Forest

Nightingale Wood is now owned by Forest Enterprise. It was a mixed working farm until the mid 1990s, when the Forestry Commission, through Forest Enterprise, purchased the site with the intention of planting a new community woodland in the Great Western Community Forest. It is one of the biggest new woodland sites in the Community Forest, in all covering 52 hectares (128 acres). It is an important site because it was the first large scale planting on a former farm in the Great Western Community Forest. Apart from the hedgerow trees, the landscape had few woodlands of any size and as such Nightingale Wood demonstrates that large scale planting of new woodlands is a good option and it does bring a range of benefits to the local area.

Due to its size, Nightingale Wood is the ideal site for multi-purpose forestry, so you will see a generous mix of trees including conifers growing alongside the traditional native oak, ash, beech and other common native species. The woodland, as well as having large areas planted with trees, has many open spaces and all of the farm hedges have been retained. These, as well as being a home for wildlife, contain a number of mature oaks. Nightingale Wood is a new landscape contained within the old.

Nightingale Wood has a large car park. There are picnic benches constructed to a modern design. From the car park, the Community Forest, in partnership with Forest Enterprise, has constructed 3500 metres of surfaced path. The paths follow three routes of varying distance, all clearly signed, each circular and level without any gates or stiles to impede progress. A bird hide has been built overlooking a newly created wetland, where the South Marston Brook now meanders across the meadow before joining the River Cole to the east.

Next door to Nightingale Wood is Roves Farm Visitor Centre, a working farm with a selection of visitor attractions, including tea rooms and pleasant farm walks. Roves Farm can be reached from the village of Sevenhampton. A short distance from South Marston in the village of Stanton Fitzwarren is Stanton Park. Owned by Swindon Borough Council, the Park is a restored 18th century landscape and well worth a visit. A leaflet for this site is available from the Great Western Community Forest.

The Great Western Community Forest can be contacted on 01793 466324 or visit the web site at: www.forestweb.org.uk . Further information on Nightingale Wood can be viewed at the Forestry Commission web site at www.forestry.gov.uk (from the web site home page use ‘search’ for ‘community woodlands’ and look only in the ‘recreation’ section).

Dedication Book

The dedication book is held at: Swindon Borough Council

Premier House

Station Road

Swindon

SN1 1TZ

01793 465055

Reception is open from: 9am to 4.40pm

Directions

OS Grid Reference SU 205885

Landranger 174

Nightingale Wood is to the east of Swindon, close to the village of South Marston, north of the A420 and the London to Bristol main line railway. Access to the woodland is from Nightingale Lane, directly opposite the Village Hotel and Country Club in South Marston.

Information on bus services to South Marston is available from Stagecoach on 01793 522243, the bus stop is about a mile from the entrance to the woodland.

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International Tree Foundation is charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No. 5219549.
Registered Office: lnternational Tree Foundation, Sandy Lane, Crawley Down, West Sussex, RH10 4HS