The main contiguous forest area, Kielder Forest Park is the largest forest in England and one of the largest man-made forests in Europe. It covers an area of 60,000 hectares and comprises the forests of Redesdale, Kielder, Falstone, Wark, Kershope and Spadeadam. Together, these form Kielder Forest Park, straddling the Northumberland-Cumbria boundary and lying between the Scottish border and Hadrian’s Wall.
The Forestry Commission, North East England Forest District, also manages some 30 separate woodlands in north east England including Wooler Common, Hepburn, Thrunton, Harbottle, Harwood and Slaley in Northumberland, as well as Chopwell Wood in Tyne and Wear and Hamsterley in County Durham.
Aims of management
Our management aims to create and sustain forests and woodlands which are attractive as well as productive, useful to the community and pleasant places for people to visit, rich in wildlife, both plant and animal, and where the natural and cultural heritage is safely conserved. It also aims to generate sufficient income to pay for these activities and provide a financial return on investment. The forests are managed within the context of Forestry Commission England's Corporate Plan, and in accordance with the UK Woodland Assurance Standard.
Species
Across the whole District, species proportions are: Sitka spruce 73%, Norway spruce 7%, lodgepole pine 6%, Scots pine 4%, larch 2%, other conifers 2% and broadleaves 6%.
Sitka spruce (78%) is the main species in Kielder Forest. It is the only tree species which thrives in this hostile environment, accounting for three quarters of the forested area of the Forest. Of the remainder, 8% is Norway spruce, 5% lodgepole pine, broadleaves 6%, plus a small proportion of Scots pine, larch and other conifer species. Through an expansion of broadleaved planting, the percentage of hardwoods will rise in the forest from 1% in the original forest to 3% now and to 8% by 2020.
In the east and south of the region, Sitka spruce is less dominant at 60%, with more other conifers (20%), broadleaves (10%) and the remainder being internal open space.
