Trees and Woodland
Trees may seem relatively sparse in much of Wiltshire, particularly on the eastern downs. However, the National Forest Inventory records 34,311 ha of woodland, equivalent to 10% of the county’s area, which is close to the average for England. More than 3,000 separate woodlands have been catalogued across the county, with perhaps 26 million trees between them.
Half of Wiltshire’s woodlands greater than 2 ha in size are estimated to be ancient, meaning they have been continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD. Of these, almost half are considered semi-natural, in that they are not obviously planted. The resulting proportion (23%) of semi-natural ancient woodland in Wiltshire is very high by national standards and this is reflected in the outstanding nature conservation value of many Wiltshire woodlands. Ancient woodlands can be recognised from the diversity of their wild flowers, including species such as wood anenomes which are slow to colonise new habitat. Particularly significant ancient woodlands in Wiltshire include Langley Wood in the New Forest, Bentley Wood, Savernake Forest and Longleat Woods.
In Medieval times, Wiltshire had a number of royal hunting forests which were protected by law for the king’s chase. Savernake Forest is the largest surviving area of woodland from these times. Savernake was managed as wood pasture, where cattle, sheep and swine were turned out to forage between the trees, sharing the forest with the king’s deer. Though much modified by subsequent landscaping, Savernake still has an exceptional assemblage of veteran trees.
Half of Wiltshire’s woodlands greater than 2 ha in size are estimated to be ancient, meaning they have been continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD. Of these, almost half are considered semi-natural, in that they are not obviously planted. The resulting proportion (23%) of semi-natural ancient woodland in Wiltshire is very high by national standards and this is reflected in the outstanding nature conservation value of many Wiltshire woodlands. Ancient woodlands can be recognised from the diversity of their wild flowers, including species such as wood anenomes which are slow to colonise new habitat. Particularly significant ancient woodlands in Wiltshire include Langley Wood in the New Forest, Bentley Wood, Savernake Forest and Longleat Woods.
In Medieval times, Wiltshire had a number of royal hunting forests which were protected by law for the king’s chase. Savernake Forest is the largest surviving area of woodland from these times. Savernake was managed as wood pasture, where cattle, sheep and swine were turned out to forage between the trees, sharing the forest with the king’s deer. Though much modified by subsequent landscaping, Savernake still has an exceptional assemblage of veteran trees.

Gopher Wood

Bluebells, Gopher Wood

Gopher Wood

Gopher Wood

Gopher Wood

Great Yews

Great Yews

Leipzig Plantation

West Woods

Dean HIll

Savernake Forest

Savernake Forest

Savernake Forest

Savernake Forest

Beech wood, Rack Hill

Beech clump, Salisbury Plain

Pine tree, Martinsell Hill

Charlton Beech Clump, Salisbury Plain

Charlton Beech Clump

Trees in snow, Avebury

Beech wood, Rack Hill

Beech clump, Overton Hill

Autumn beech trees, Rockley

Beech wood, Rack Hill

Scots Pine, Martinsell Hill

Beech tree, Roundway Down

Silver Birches, Franchises Wood

Langley Wood

Tree Tunnel

'Sleeping Dragon' oak, Savernake Forest

Coppiced small-leaved limes, Langley Wood

Beech Avenue, Knowle Hill

Bluebells and beech trees, West Woods

Green Lane, Morgan's Hill

Leipzig Plantation, Roundway Down

Savernake Forest

First Broad Drive, Grovely Wood

Misty beech trees, West Woods

Charlton Beech Clump, Salisbury Plain

'Gargoyle' oak, Savernake Forest

Veteran oak, Savernake Forest

'Sleeping Dragon' veteran oak, Savernake Forest

Veteran oak, Savernake Forest

'Gargoyle' veteran oak, Savernake Forest

Gnarled beech tree, Savernake Forest

Tree tunnel

Tree tunnel

'Gargoyle' veteran oak, Savernake Forest

Gnarled hawthorn, Fyfield Down
