The Swinton Estate, spanning 20,000 acres in Masham, North Yorkshire, has embarked on an ambitious project to create new woodlands in the north of England. In collaboration with The DTMS Group and Johnsons Nurseries, the estate aims to enhance biodiversity, improve water quality, and contribute to climate change mitigation through extensive tree planting.
The estate faced the challenge of significantly increasing its tree cover to promote sustainability and nature conservation. The goal was to plant a diverse range of native tree species that would not only sequester carbon but also provide habitats for wildlife and improve the overall ecosystem. This required careful selection of species and strategic planning to ensure the new woodlands would thrive and integrate seamlessly into the existing landscape.
To address this challenge, Johnsons Nurseries supplied 29,000 woodland trees and whips, encompassing over 30 varieties, including Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Sorbus aucuparia, Quercus robur, Salix caprea, and Acer campestre. These species were chosen for their suitability to the local environment and their benefits to biodiversity and water management. The DTMS Group was contracted to handle the landscaping and planting operations, ensuring that the trees were sited appropriately to maximize their ecological benefits.
This initiative marks the first phase of Swinton Estate’s long-term ambition to increase tree cover by 50% over the next 20 years, creating approximately 350 hectares of new mixed woodland and wood pasture. The project is expected to enhance sustainability, boost nature conservation efforts, sequester carbon, and produce sustainable timber crops in the future. The successful collaboration between Swinton Estate, The DTMS Group, and Johnsons Nurseries has laid a strong foundation for the new woodlands to thrive and mature in the coming years.
