Wistman's Wood: Ancient Dartmoor woodland to double in size

A rare and ancient woodland on Dartmoor is to be regenerated and expanded, the Duchy of Cornwall has announced.

The duchy said it aimed to least double the size of Wistman's Wood by 2040.

It said the woodland, which contained very rare Atlantic mosses and lichen, was under threat from fire, disease and climate change.

Natural England and supporters have welcomed the plans for the nine-acre (3.5-hectare) area, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) since 1964.

David Cope, head of sustainability at the duchy, said the "incredibly special place" provides "a home for some very rare species, making this work extremely important for our goal of a net zero and nature-rich estate".

He added: "The expansion of Wistman's Wood and creation of additional wood pasture is only possible because we've developed our plans in partnership with our farm tenants, Natural England and the Dartmoor National Park Authority over the past two years."

The plans include encouraging natural oak and rowan regeneration, and supporting the lichen with "appropriate levels of cattle and pony grazing".

Cattle grazing would be controlled using wireless electric fencing systems, managers said.

Twenty-two acres (nine hectares) of new woodland pasture would be created on the west side of the River Dart, opposite Wistman's Wood, near Princetown, with more to come on other duchy farms, they added.

The Duchy of Cornwall, a major landowner in the south-west of England, is a private estate that funds both the charitable and private activities of the Duke of Cornwall.

Tony Juniper, chairman of Natural England, said Wistman's Wood was a "magical fragment of ancient temperate rainforest" and the "exciting plan" would "give it long-term resilience and provide a wealth of benefits for people and nature".

"Reserves like this one will act as the battery packs powering nature recovery across the country," he said.

"The enhancement of this spectacular landscape and its habitats will enable people to connect with a site rich in wildlife and historic interest for long into the future."

Guy Shrubsole, author of the Lost Rainforests of Britain, told BBC News it was "absolutely wonderful" to see the "snowballing" of moves to protect ancient woodland.

Other schemes have been announced by insurance company Aviva, the National Trust and farmers Merlin and Lizzie Hanbury-Tenison in Cornwall.

Temperate rainforest used to cover 20% of Britain but it now covers less than 1% of the country, said Mr Shrubsole, from Totnes, Devon.

He said: "There is a momentum towards rainforest regeneration in the UK.

"Rainforests harbour internationally important species and they have become so fragmented, so I'm really delighted."

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