Welcome to the
Herefordshire
Tree Forum

Forest Research has published one of the most comprehensive reviews to date on using natural processes such as natural colonisation as an alternative to tree planting for woodland creation.
Findings show that these methods can expand tree cover, support biodiversity, and create resilient woodlands, though uptake among land managers remains limited due to uncertainty and practical challenges.
Researchers highlight the benefits of hybrid approaches that combine natural processes with planting, alongside the need for better guidance and support.

Read the article HERE

The State of the UK’s Woods and Trees 2025 report, published by the Woodland Trust has revealed that the quantity and variety of woodland wildlife is plummeting, despite a marginal rise in tree cover. The Trust says this is due to the deteriorating ecological condition within UK woodlands.

Expanding on the groundbreaking first State of the UK’s Woods and Trees report in 2021 which showed that only 7% of Britain’s native woodland was in good condition, the new report warns that these vital ecosystems are less effective as habitats for wildlife because they lack complexity, such as having enough trees of differing ages, states and sizes.

Full story can be found HERE.

The London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) said trees were being felled across the country because councils were afraid of being liable for expensive property repairs.

Councils in England have given permission to fell more than 1,000 trees which previously had Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs).

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Spokesperson said applications to address tree-related subsidence damage must be supported by appropriate information, with other factors eliminated as far as possible.

The BBC analysed 143 Freedom of Information request responses from councils in England. Of those, 10 directly provided figures for the financial years between 2019 and 2024, showing permission was granted to fell 1,403 previously protected trees.

Full story can be found HERE.

Funded by £607,000 from National Highways, the National Trust aims to rejuvenate 65 hectares of The Weir Garden in Herefordshire. Thousands of trees, plants, and seeds have been planted to create diverse habitats for wildlife, such as orchards, woodlands, meadows, hedgerows, and wood pasture.

The project is part of the National Trust's broader strategy to restore nature across the country which includes restoring over 65 hectares of priority habitat at The Weir Garden, an area that spans four hectares alongside the River Wye. The work will help create a mosaic of diverse habitats for wildlife within the 100-hectare Weir Estate. The National Trust will now manage the ongoing restoration, including livestock grazing and a hay cutting regime, to ensure the landscape remains resilient to climate change.

Read more about NT's work in the county HERE.

Herefordshire is home to more ancient oaks than most counties, more indeed than can be found throughout many other European countries, and the Old Oak of Ross is one of that number. It has survived for perhaps 900 years but over the past ten years or so its condition has declined. The image on the right, taken May 2025, shows the Old Oak to the right of a much larger tree which, however, only dates from the 1920s. it can be seen that the section on the right appears to be dead although the left-hand part of the crown still bears green foliage. The reasons for the relatively sudden decline of the tree are uncertain but may be the result of the inundation by polluted water from the river Wye or perhaps as a result of historical agricultural practices. It can be seen that an agricultural exclusion zone has now been established around both the Old Oak and its younger neighbour.

Benhall Farm, within which the tree is situated, is tenanted, being part of the 13,000 acres that forms the Duchy of Cornwall's Herefordshire Estate. The duchy has been approached with the aim of initiating a programme of research to determine the cause of the decline and to put work in hand to improve the tree's growing conditions with the aim of halting and perhaps reversing the tree's deterioration. A grant application to fund these works has been presented under the 'Farming in Protected Landscapes' (FiPL) scheme. The initial response from the Duchy indicates that it is
"... not in a position to accommodate this [project] at this time".
No further details have been forthcoming.