Wood
Welcome to Mike’s Wood
Friends of the Lake District bought a grazed eld in 1993 to create a new native woodland to honour 17 years of work by its Secretary (CEO) Mike Houston, and the wood is named after him. At the same time, Friends of the Lake District member Ann Beddard bought the adjacent eld which was also planted up. In 2000 Ann donated her land, called Beddard’s Wood (New and Old) and overall the whole wood is now 5ha (12.3 acres).
Our aim was to re-create a new native woodland on land that was formerly woodland, enhancing the landscape, providing new habitats and access opportunities, and linking with established woodlands nearby. In future we will manage this to create a diversi ed woodland and provide a haven of tranquillity for people and nature in association with our woodland neighbours.
Look out for: spring owers, views to Morecambe Bay, bird life and sound, the seat at the top of the wood.
Getting Here
Mike’s Wood is 1.5 miles east of Staveley. It can be reached from Staveley via the back road to the A6 or via various local footpaths. ere are regular buses to Staveley and the train from Oxenholme/Windermere.
e wood is dedicated as Open Access Land so it can be explored freely on foot at anytime. e area is covered by maps: OS land ranger sheet 97 or OS Explorer OL7. Look out for our NFC/QR code signs if you want more information via your phone.
Explore and Discover
is walk route takes you on a circular walk from the centre of Staveley through Mike’s Wood and other neighbouring woodlands. ere are good bus and train links to Staveley, and parking in the village.
Walk
Postcode: LA8 9LR (start and nish point)
Grid Reference: SD 47144 98289 (start and nish point) SD 48295 98578 (Mike’s Wood)
1 Begin from the centre of Staveley at e Mill Yard. Turn left out of the estate and onto the main street. Follow this until you reach the Duke William pub.
2 Immediately after the pub take the rst left and down a small track leading onto a footpath and a bridge over the River Kent. Cross the bridge and turn right along the river, then soon after left going uphill across the eld to a gate. rough the gate keep going uphill through another gate through woodland, until you reach a narrow road.
3 Turn right along this road and follow it for 3/4 mile. At the fork in the road continue to the right.
Legend Suggested Walk Route
NFC & QR Locations
Public Rights of Way
Mike’s Wood Boundary Road
Open Access Land
4 Carry on until a small lay-by with a ve-bar gate and a wooden signpost for Spring Hag. Go through the gate and follow the path to the woodland. You will reach two gates with signs for Dorothy Farrer’s Spring Wood – take the one on the right and continue up into the woodland over the spring.
5 After around 200m look out for a high wooden gate in the boundary on your left which is signed Mike’s Wood. Pass through this and you have now entered Mike’s Wood.
6 Follow the path through the lower part of the woodland which leads you west past the old trees to the far side of the wood and a gap in the dry stone wall.
7 From here the path continues upwards in a north easterly direction and you will reach a clearing with
RIVER
a bench at the highest point. Enjoy lovely views of Morecambe Bay and the countryside.
8 Continue north east along the path and through a wooden gate onto a green lane. Turn left along the lane to reach a gate out onto a small track. Continue to the left along this track which takes you alongside the boundary to Mike’s Wood.
9 e small track eventually joins a narrow road. Follow this downhill on the left for half a mile to the road junction.
10 Continue right along the road passing the footpath entrance where you joined the narrow road. Retrace your steps to the Mill Yard, or you can stay on the riverside footpath until you reach a metal bridge that leads into the Mill Yard complex directly.
What Makes a Native Woodland?
A native woodland has tree species which have grown in the local area since the last ice age. Native species for Cumbria include ash, rowan, holly, hawthorn, juniper, Scots pine and English oak, to name a few. Native woodlands support far more species of mammals, birds, invertebrates, mosses, etc than non native trees – those introduced from outside the UK. Our two native oak species support a massive 2,300 species of which 326 rely solely on oak! Many native woodlands are also ancient woodlands, existing since at least 1,600 and in time, Mike’s Wood may become an ancient woodland!
Workparty volunteers
How We Created a New Native Woodland
e aim of re-creating a broadleaved woodland to mirror what once covered the area was innovative in 1994. Dr John Rodwell of Lancaster University produced a planting plan using the National Vegetation Classi cation but also historic seed bank research to tell us what trees would have been on site previously. With the help of a Forestry Commission grant, and following their new guidelines, native species such as oak, alder, ash, birch, rowan, Scots pine, hawthorn and some juniper bushes, were planted in 1993/4. e wood subsequently won an award for its innovation and success.
Our Top Achievements
• Innovative re-creation of new native woodland using seed bank research.
• Enhancing the landscape, new wildlife habitats, carbon sequestration, slow the ow of water and improved water quality in the catchment.
• Engagement of volunteers to help manage and survey the woods.
• Dedicated as permanent open access at all times.
• New footpath created to link into existing rights of way.
• Linkages with surrounding woodlands through self-guided property lea et.
• An example of a campaigning landscape charity practicing what it preaches.
Mike Houston with the sign for Mike’s Wood
Joint workparty with LDNPA volunteers
Did you know?
Mike’s Wood has many summer visitors including blackcaps, chi cha s, willow warblers and pied ycatcher. Look out for resident tawny owls year-round.
pied flycatcher
Explore Mike’s Wood virtually! Visit: https://app.lapentor.com/sphere/mikes-wood
Tawny owl
Photo: © Rosamund Macfarlane
Male
Photo: © John Macfarlane
Blackcap
Photo: © Alan Gane Volunteer fitting a bird box
Ongoing Management
Since the early days of planting we have added small numbers of additional trees but our approach is largely one of minimal intervention, letting nature do what it wishes. ere is ongoing maintenance of fences and walls, path clearance, some limited coppicing and the addition of bird and bat boxes. e wood has been hit by several storms and many ash trees are su ering from ash dieback. As long as there are no safety issues, fallen and diseased trees are left for deadwood habitat. We dedicated the wood as open access and put in a new footpath which links to existing paths in the area.
Want to learn more about our land and the species you can nd there? Look out for our other guides! www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/property-guides
Friends of the Lake District visit to the original wood, 1993
About Friends of the Lake District
Established in 1934, Friends of the Lake District is a membership-based charity committed to looking after the landscapes of the Lake District and Cumbria.
www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/our-land
We own land in order to enhance the landscape; carry out practical conservation projects; increase access and model best practice in land management. Our land includes valleys, native woodlands, moorlands, uplands and commons, and is open to the public for all to enjoy.
Scan here to become a member today. Join us and over 6,000 people who are passionate about this magni cent place.
For more information on our land and volunteering opportunities, or how to join us and help to maintain these beautiful Cumbrian landscapes, please get in touch or sign up to our email newsletter.
Friends of the Lake District, Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, LA9 7SS
Tel: 01539 720788 | Email: info@fld.org.uk Website: www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk Friends of the Lake District @friendsoflakes
Registered Charity Number: 1100759